The Deserted and Forgotten
by stkichi
Summary: A look inside why exactly someone would want to abandon the Fire Nation and the struggles they would face afterwards. When all hope is lost, sometimes we have to look at those who have been long forgotten. A different look at the war with the main character being Chey from the episode The Deserter.
1. The Makings of a Soldier

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

_Month 12, Beginning of Winter 90 ASC: Nine years prior to the Avatar's return…_

Private Chey stood at attention alongside his fellow soldiers aboard the _Elegant Dragon_. He was a cocky, fresh out of training, twenty year old explosive's expert. On his right was his best friend, Kyudo. Chey had known him all his life, they even shared a birthday, and when their sixteenth birthday came around, they both enlisted to be a part of the Fire Nation Navy.

Kyudo was an archer, often bragging that he was the best one on the entire planet. And where others failed to live up to their words, Kyudo didn't. He was able to hit an apple off of someone's head from three ship lengths away, and often tried to get Chey to be the one being shot at. Kyudo had hair slightly below his shoulders, some of which was tied in a messy topknot at the crown of his head. He was also much shorter than most soldiers, but that never deterred him from picking fights with anyone, always saying that he was a harder target to hit.

Junior Lieutenant Zhao marched in front of the row of five soldiers, before finally stopping and turning to address all of them, "Men, I do believe congratulations are in order. You five managed to impress Admiral Jeong Jeong, whether it be through your training for some of you or the skills and strategy you employed during battles for others. The Admiral has instructed me to take you on a special mission. If you succeed at this mission, then you will be joining the honorable Admiral as an elite task force taking direct orders straight from Fire Lord Azulon. Be forewarned though, this mission will not be easy, some of you may not return. If you are scared of death, then you are more than welcome to rejoin the normal navy." Zhao paused to see if any of the soldiers would waver, when none did he continued, "That's what I thought, this is why the Admiral has hand selected you. None of you are afraid, in fact you embrace death if it means it will bring your nation closer to victory. Now then, I will be handing each of you a scroll, these scrolls grant you special access to high level areas. When you receive your scroll I want you to give me your name, title, and age."

Zhao strode toward the man directly to Chey's left, he seemed to be the oldest out of all the soldiers, even older than the Junior Lieutenant. He had brown spiky hair, though it was already beginning to grey and had a thin mustache leading out to sideburns. He had no topknot and was the only soldier around without one, even Chey had tied some of his shaggy hair into one.

Zhao reached into a packet on his belt and pulled out a scroll and moved it towards the man, who in turn grabbed it and promptly placed it in his belt and returned his hands to behind his back. "Jee, Private, 38 years old, sir." It was unsurprising to hear that he was still a private at that age, usually in order to be promoted in the Fire Nation army or navy you either had to accomplish something legendary or be born into a family with high stature. The latter being the case for Junior Lieutenant Zhao.

Zhao moved down one person and again extended a scroll towards Chey this time, "Chey, Private, 20 years old, sir."

He moved down the line once more to Kyudo and handed him a scroll, "Kyudo, Private, 20 years old, sir."

The next person in line had a completely shaved head save for a small patch of black hair at the top which led down into a braided stand of hair running down the back of his head. He had a goatee and mustache that tapered down and was braided at the ends. A gold ring also hung from each of his ears and one in his nose, which was completely against protocol in the navy. Zhao didn't even give the rings a second glance though, clearly this man had earned the right to wear them. He took his scroll greedily from the outstretched hand of Zhao. "Mongke, Private, 22 years old, sir."

Mongke was not the strangest of the bunch, for next to him stood quite a rare sight, a woman. She had a well defined body and brown hair that trailed down to just above her lower back. Typically any woman that enlisted would end up serving their nation with security work on one of the home islands or the colonies. Very rarely would they be seen aboard a ship, much less about to embark on a special mission. Zhao approached her just as casually as the rest and put forth another scroll which her small hands quickly darted out to grab. "Janan, Private, 19 years old, sir."

Zhao returned back to his position from before to address them, "Now for your mission briefing: I will be leading the five of you on a mission through the heart of the Earth Kingdom. Once we reach port we will join up with the Fire Nation Army, I know that none of you have yet seen combat outside of the sea, but fear not, for we will be serving under the grand General Shu. With the aid of his division we will be pushing towards Si Wong Desert. There we will we part with the army and undertake the rest of the mission. Any questions?"

Mongke spoke up quickly, "What is the rest of the mission exactly?"

Zhao went face to face with the soldier, "That's on a need to know basis, and currently, you don't need to know. Is that understood, private?"

Mongke gritted his teeth and nodded and Zhao backed up to address the whole team once more, "Good, now then, we arrive in a week, until then you are dismissed."

All five saluted simultaneously and walked off towards the underbelly of the ship.

* * *

The week passed by slowly for everyone, days at sea typically stretched on forever.

Jee sat at the bow of the ship with a Pai Sho set. He sat alone with only one chair set up at the table, nobody dared approach him to ask him if he needed a partner. Chey was observant and had noticed him practicing firebending in the early mornings, but that was all he knew. Jee was a silent firebender who spent all his time training or playing Pai Sho, and that was all anyone cared to find out.

Mongke was the polar opposite of Jee. He was usually set up at the stern of the ship and he was guaranteed to be doing one of two things. The first was trying to create lightning, but each attempt only ended with a loud explosion that shook the entire ship. When he wasn't nearly blowing his hand off, he was bragging to any soldier who happened to walk by him. Apparently back in his village, him and four other of his friends were vigilantes who enforced their own brand of "justice" and went by the moniker "Rough Rhinos".

Kyudo, normally just as boastful as Mongke, seemed completely fascinated by one of the ship's weapon systems. The _Elegant Dragon_ was one of the newest vessels off the production line, and as such was armed with all the newest developments in Fire Nation technology. The ballista was the one that held a particular interest with Kyudo. He was always studying the weapon and drawing different pictures and jotting down notes. Whenever he was asked about his obsession, he would always reply with a brief explanation that it was for "research" or he was "just curious".

Janan was never seen on deck, her pale skin clearly reflecting that she was almost never seen in the light. She was either in the galley eating the small portion she called a meal or running along the railing of the ships, trying to practice her unique way of fighting. On the first night, when Chey still believed that he should get to know his fellow squad, he had a short conversation with Janan and learned her history. She had grown up in a village close to the capital and was a bounty hunter since she was sixteen. Janan used the word "assassin" to describe herself. When Chey had asked if she was a bender, she responded by yanking him forward by his collar and putting a knife to his throat. Once he got the message she let him go and concealed the knife in her shirt sleeve.

Chey spent most of the time in the armory, concocting various explosives to use on the upcoming mission. He had found success by combining a small metal tube and blasting jelly. Chey used a spark rock to light the wick, which made it the perfect quick bomb. It took no less than two seconds to arm, was lightweight, and packed quite a punch. Typically, in order to be an explosives expert, one had to be a firebender to be effective. Chey, crafty as a fox, had proved time and time again that he was able to light a bomb faster than any firebender.

Not to be outdone, Zhao had proven to be much harder to catch a glimpse of than even Janan. He spent all his time in the bridge of the ship, casting a menacing silhouette against the red glass windows. He was in the bridge more than even the captain, never appearing to move from his place in front of the window.

The ship docked just before sunset, pulling up alongside several other nearly identical Fire Nation ships. The plan was to meet with the army the next day and then continue north to Si Wong Desert. They had docked on Whaletail Island, a recently established base was serving as a launching point for the attack. This attack could be a landmark victory for the Fire Nation, having never attempted an attack this far south in the Earth Kingdom. The nation was divided in three separate large landmasses by the mighty Kawa River. Currently, the Fire Nation had almost complete control of the northwestern landmass, they had already begun settling the land, but it was the smallest of the three landmasses.

The original plan was to launch the invasion from the land they already had won, but the Great Divide, Yama mountain range, and Kawa River were too great of natural obstacles to move a great amount of troops through. Chey had poured over maps and thought up strategies for the entirety of his teenage years, and to him, this planned attack made no sense. There were no records of any major Earth Kingdom battalions in the southern landmass and the Fire Nation troops have been able to pass through the land with no problems. The only major Earth Kingdom stronghold was Omashu and the plan had them passing miles south of the city. In fact the entire landmass, in Chey's opinion, was useless. It was impossible to get to the northeastern landmass due to the enormity of the Si Wong Desert, which was exactly where they were headed.

Chey thought about bringing up his concerns with the plan to some of his superiors, but ultimately decided against it. He was a faceless soldier, trained to kill, conquer, and die for his nation, but never **ever** talk.

* * *

The three week journey to the deserted village just to the south of Si Wong Desert was quite an interesting excursion.

They entered the Earth Kingdom through Chin Village and didn't stop for a second. They left the town dazed and confused, wondering why the Fire Nation had no interest in settling this land.

The army had split from Zhao's team with plans to go invade Omashu. General Shu informed the team that once they were finished with their mission, they were to go to Omashu, which would be under Fire Nation rule shortly. The General's confidence was well placed, they had the largest assembled army in Fire Nation history. There is no way that they couldn't succeed.

The team travelled by two wagons being pulled by komodo rhinos. They arrived at the desert village just as night fell, the whole squad nearly bursting with anticipation. Tomorrow morning, they would find out exactly why they would be going into the desert.

Morning came and it went the same as any other morning for the four weeks that the six Fire Nation soldiers had been together as a squad. Zhao woke later than all five of the others and when everyone looked at him expectantly, he remained silent. Seeing that they weren't going to get any answers, they loaded the wagons and prepped themselves for their journey through the desert.

* * *

The grueling heat of the desert beat down upon the backs of the six travelers. They had abandoned the wagons and komodo rhinos on the first day into the endless sea of sand, the dunes proving too difficult for the animals to navigate. So they were forced to take what supplies they could, only able to carry what they could with backpacks. It had been three days since then and Junior Lieutenant Zhao had made no indication that they were getting any closer to their destination.

They refused to complain though. They were Fire Nation soldiers, the heat was their element, and there was no way they could be defeated by it.

Zhao stopped momentarily and the others took it as an opportunity to take a swig of water from their water skins. They might be Fire Nation, but they weren't invulnerable to the sun's effects. Water meant survival, and their water supply was beginning to run dangerously low. Their leader checked his map, smiled slightly, and began walking up the giant dune that was currently shading the squad.

The others silently followed him up the steep incline, which began to angle so heavily that Jee and Chey were forced to use their hands for balance. Zhao had stopped at the top of the mountain-like dune, gazing out towards something out of the sight of the others. The rest of the group finally reached the peak and looked upon whatever had captivated their superior.

No more than two hundred feet away stood a giant pillar that stretched at least three stories up into the desert sky. Clearly this pillar was what they were sent out to find, but it still left all of them except Zhao confused. The structure was impressive yet there was no sign of military presence and the tower couldn't possibly have military purpose, with it being in the middle of a limitless desert.

Zhao spoke for the first time that they had left General Shu and his forces, "There it is squad. Our mission lies within that tower."

The group tapped into their energy reserves and quickened their burdensome pace and made it to the spire in no time. They panned out and searched the building for some sort of entrance point. Seeing that there was none, Chey began busying himself with rigging an explosive to blow a hole at the base of the structure.

Kyudo came up to him chuckling, "Always so quick with the explosives Chey. Now watch and learn." He readied his bow and shot an arrow with a rope attached to it towards the top of the pillar. He gave the rope a hard tug and satisfied with its strength, turned back to the others, "It'll hold, but only one person at a time."

They all nodded and Kyudo grabbed the rope to begin his ascent before Zhao moved forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Not so fast soldier. I'll be going first and then you follow."

Not thinking twice about the command, Kyudo moved aside and allowed his superior to climb the tower first. He stopped at the top and rested in the windowsill, awaiting the others to climb up with him. The others followed suit and peered down into the tower. Expecting to see stairs, they were quite surprised to see a nearly infinite abyss down below. Crisscrossing across the abyss were several stone bridges which led deeper into the structure which was obstructed from their bird's eye view.

Kyudo and Chey combined their strength to rip the arrow out from the window of the spire, Chey untied the rope and Kyudo replaced it in his quiver. The explosives expert secured the rope around the support beams of the window and tested the strength of his knot. After seeing the knot would hold, he handed the rope off to Zhao.

The Fire Nation officer got a firm grip on the rope and descended to the bridges below, the rest of the group following him. Once they reached the bottom of their descent, they all checked to see where exactly their leader had led them to. All around them were bookshelves, miles and miles of bookshelves filled to the brim stretched all across the structure. It appeared to be miles deep as well, bridges, just like the one they were standing on, were built all the way down to the base of the immense library.

Janan, usually so sure of herself, stared around in amazement and asked wondrously, "Why would someone build a place like this in the desert?"

Her question would hang in the air forever, for a few seconds after she spoke a giant owl swooped in from below and landed on the bridge they were positioned on. He looked expectantly towards the humans, who all took up defensive positions, save Zhao. He just stood there, smirking menacingly.

* * *

"Why have you mortals sought out my sanctuary?" The giant owl spoke in a regal and noble voice.

Zhao turned to address his troops, "Men stand down." The soldiers cautiously lowered their weapons and their superior turned to speak to the owl again, "We are knowledge seekers, I heard of a mighty and wise spirit who brought together all knowledge into single library."

"I am the spirit that you seek, Wan Shi Tong. And I don't allow mortals to walk my grounds so easily anymore, in order to peruse my vast collection of books, you must first supply me with some form of knowledge from your world."

Zhao reached into his backpack and brought out a large book, "I present to you the current edition of the Fire Nation encyclopedia."

"Very well, this will do." The owl swept one wing towards Zhao's outstretched book and mysteriously grabbed the book and tucked it away. "You are free to walk the gorunds, but if you dare to take anything without my permission, then you will be making a fine edition to my collection of disembodied heads."

The calmly made threat made the squad shiver slightly. The owl spread its wings and soar down many levels, no doubt to go catalogue the new book.

The leader of the mission spun to give his team directions, "Alright, I want you to go to the Fire Nation section of the library. Under Chey's guidance, I want you to set up explosives all around the area and blow every bit of critical information on the Fire Nation to pieces. I'll be making a slight detour, meet back here in three hours and then we'll leave." After delivering the orders he walked across the bridge and disappeared behind a bookshelf.

The rest of the group walked opposite his path and split up to look for the section they were looking for.

* * *

Janan walked down several flights of stairs before something piqued her interest. One row of bookshelves was completely devoid of any books. In their places hung various posters that seemed to be depicted various kinds of swords and daggers. At the end of the shelves there was sword hanging from two prongs in the wall.

She ran to the sword to get a better look. Upon closer inspection, Janan saw that the sword was a katana, a very expensive one at that. The blade was gleaming silver, but the real beauty was found on the hilt. It had no guards on the handle to prevent from one's hands from slipping up to the blade, clearly the blade was meant for a master. The hilt was in the shape of a dragon, the blade serving as its tail. The hilt was a pure gold and in the dragons mouth at the hilt's base was a gorgeous sapphire gem.

Just as Janan reached to grab the sword, a voice from behind had her whirling behind and putting a hand on her racing heart. "I apologize, I did not mean to startle you. I saw you admiring the blade of the dragons." She hadn't even heard the owl approach, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been caught by surprise.

"I'm sorry, I've just never seen a sword with such amazing craftsmanship. May I use it?" The owl nodded and she grabbed the majestic weapon off the wall. She made a basic three point practice attack before staring at the weapon in awe. "Incredible! I've never wielded a sword with such perfect balance."

"Yes, the weapon is over 300 years old. The master blacksmith who created it set out to create the perfect sword and they accomplished just that. There is another blade, its twin, somewhere out there, but my loyal fox knowledge-seekers have never been able to find it. So I am led to believe that it has been lost forever." Janan hadn't thought that an animal could display an emotion so clearly, but she had never seen more sadness than right now in the spirit's eyes. "If you wish, you may take it. A weapon has no place in a library."

Before she could ask the spirit if they were serious, it had already turned and flown off to another location. Janan examined the weapon one more time before taking the sheath off the wall as well. The sheath was the same rich blue as the sapphire and had several intricate carvings of dragons engraved on it. She put the blade in the sheath and secured it around her back, going back the way she came to continue the search.

* * *

Jee paced up and down countless aisles of bookshelves. He finally found a well lit corner with a table set up in it. He found this promising enough to go investigate.

Once in view of the table top, Jee saw that there was a Pai Sho set on top of the table. The set was composed entirely of gold, with marble tiles adorning the checkered pattern. Jee took a seat on the two chairs and admired the work of art.

Before he got too lost in the game, a fox-like creature came up to the table and hopped up into the chair opposite the soldier. Jee stared wide eyed at the animal, completely perplexed. The creature used its nose to push a tile into the center of the Pai Sho set.

Seeing that the fox wanted a game, Jee leaned forward to see what tile was placed. He gazed upon it in confusion, the White Lotus tile. It was so rare to find and not for the reason of being a powerful tile. In fact, it was actually considered the weakest and not many were produced. The only property the tile had allowed the owner of it to place another tile. The White Lotus tile was defeated by any other tile and could not be used to defeat any other tile. Typically, when it's played the opponent has to check the rulebook to see what it does, but Jee was no amateur, he knew what every tile did.

The fox took its consecutive turn and Jee slid a tile over to counter it. The game continued like this, the fox would move a tile and Jee would move a tile next to it to neutralize it. Soon, Jee had surrounded the original White Lotus tile in an intricate pattern, the fox had run out of moves.

The creature seemed satisfied and hopped down from the chair and ran away. Jee gathered his bag and prepared to continue to look when he noticed something odd about the table. All the tiles were arranged in the shape of the White Lotus flower. Jee grabbed the tile in the center of it and saw the fox had left a note in its chair. He grabbed the note and read it, "Everything serves a purpose, unification brings those purposes to light." Jee pocketed the note and tile, then preceded with his search.

* * *

Mongke raced around furiously looking for any sign of his Nation's history. He blew smoke out his nose angrily before finally spotting a door that looked to have some potential.

He kicked the door open and stepped into the dimly lit room. Sitting upon an altar like table were four distinct feathers. Upon closer inspection, the firebender could see that each one was a different color: white, dark blue, deep red and lush green.

Mongke recognized these as the marks of great leaders from each nation. Having studied spirituality for his entire youth, he knew the history of these feathers.

According to legend, four majestic birds roamed the lands, their feathers were like no other birds. It was a time without rule and all the nation's had a contest to hunt down these birds. Whoever caught the bird and took its feathers would be crowned the ruler of their respective land.

Mongke didn't really believe that legend, but he did know that anyone who has worn these feathers in the past has been a great and powerful leader.

He grabbed the set of red feathers and positioned them atop his head. After checking the mirror to see if they were straight, he set out on his search once more. Mongke made it to the door before swiftly turning around. He turned the altar and feathers into ash, turned and walked out the door.

* * *

Kyudo wandered around aimlessly, he had given up looking for the Fire Nation section after the first hour. It wasn't exactly critical that he be there, Chey was the one with the explosives and if he needed to, could finish the mission himself.

The archer was brought out of his musings by the sound of chimes somewhere in the distance. He went to go investigate and ended up in a room filled with instruments. The room was constructed so that the music made could echo all throughout the library.

Kyudo found one instrument that interested him in particular, a harp. He had learned to use the instrument after he saw that the strings were very similar to the string he used for his weapon. He sat upon the stool next to it and began to play.

The harp was beautifully tuned and Kyudo played with perfection. The sweet melody was rocking him into a state of serenity until he heard a sharp twang that had no place with the music. He pulled the string again and got the same results. Clearly, this string was not meant to be a part of this harp.

He took a knife off his side, checked to make sure nobody was around, and went to cut the string out. The string refused to be cut, it wasn't even getting weaker. Kyudo finally gave in and began to physically untie it from the instrument. He examined the string for a few moments before a smile broke out on his face. It seemed to be the perfect length for what he was planning. Even better, it could not be cut and was extremely flexible. Kyudo put the string in his bag for later and continued to play the harp.

* * *

Zhao tore and ripped his way through every book he could find on the Water Tribe, but his efforts were not rewarded. Every book seemed to say the same thing, the moon spirit was the first waterbender and taught the ability to the Water Tribes.

This knowledge was useless though, he needed to know if there was a way to get rid of waterbending. In order to become the great man that his father had predicted of him, he would have to do something legendary. Being the leader who destroyed the Northern Water Tribe would more than accomplish this. However, in order to accomplish this he needed a way to get rid of their main method of attack, waterbending.

The junior lieutenant slammed his fists down on the table in anger, which disturbed a scroll. The scroll rolled off the table and came to rest against a statue on the far end of the hallway. Zhao growled in frustration and stomped his way over to the scroll. He bent down to pick it up, but then stopped when he realized what it had stopped against, a statue of a magnificent creature. It looked like some sort of hybrid between a lion and turtle, but he had never even heard of an animal like this.

He admired it for a few moments before something behind the statue caught his eye. There was book on the shelf that appeared to have no business being there, it was two times bigger than any book in this section, and it was nearly falling off. Zhao took the book and brought it back to the desk. He began flipping through it, it was a book talking about all the known spirits. He turned to the section pertaining Water Tribe spirits and that's when he saw it. Zhao smiled manically and wrote down the critical information on a piece of a paper.

* * *

Chey sat for a moment in order to rest his sore feet. He may be young, but they had been walking nonstop for weeks now and it was beginning to get to him.

He decided to check the shelves for a some sort of light reading while he rested. All the books seemed to have the same insignia on them, the Air Nation's symbol. Chey stood up and saw that he was now in the Air Nation section, which was quite small.

He had learned at school that the Air Nation people were very antisocial, it was hard to get information on them and little was gathered before they were wiped out. Chey decided to look through a book that detailed their philosophies and history, figuring he would get a good laugh at their ridiculous ways of living.

The book was about how the Airbenders lived in the mountains, to be one with the sky and clouds. They were peaceful people, Chey scoffed at this, wondering what kind of peaceful people would have an army. Chey continued to read while walking, only half paying attention to either task.

He turned down three corners before reading something that both surprised and confused him. The book said that the Air Nation had no formal army and never would construct one, they were all pacifists and only defended when attacked. Chey had always been taught that Fire Lord Sozin wiped them out because they were preparing to attack the Fire Nation. This had to be a mistake by the author of the book, but it was written by an outsider that the Air Nation allowed to study them. The author had no reason to lie, but why would his great nation lie to its people? Chey kept repeating that question in his hand before finally he found what he was looking for. He dropped the book to the floor when he saw it, an archway with the Fire Nation insignia on it, his nation appeared to have an entire wing dedicated to it.

He turned to pick the book that he had dropped, but then thought better of it and entered the wing without it. Chey started to arm the bombs all around the section, figuring he could finish before any of his squad mates would find him.

* * *

AN: Thank you for reading the first chapter of The Deserted and Forgotten. For this story, the focus will be entirely on Chey (look him up on Avatar wiki if you don't know him) and another person that has yet to be introduced. I also guarantee that this story will be different than most others out there. I don't want to go to in depth for now though because this first chapter was a lot of background and foreshadowing and I want to leave it up to you guys to interpret on your own. I am also trying to stick to the known Avatar timeline, but I will be changing some things around. I will be updating this story periodically, once every two weeks or so, and all the updates will be this length or longer. Anyway, thank you and enjoy.

Edit: I have changed the way the time is recorded. The calendar is now counted on twelve months, the end of the year being one month into winter. Also, a new year starts the day after the Winter Solstice in this universe. Also for your reading convenience, here is the breakdown of the seasons: months 12 through 2= winter, months 3 through 5= spring, months 6 through 8= summer, months 9 through 11= fall. Avatar Aang emerges from the iceberg in Month 12, 99 ASC, just like he does in the show. And yes, ASC is the official year counter in the Avatar universe, it stands for After Sozin's Comet. I hope that this change in the time will make it easier to understand the whole timeline of this story. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them to me either through a review or PM, I will respond assuming it isn't a spoiler.


	2. Unforgettable Arguments

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

Janan was the next to find the Fire Nation section of the library. She nodded once she saw Chey who pointed to a bag on the floor filled with bombs. She reached into the bag and began setting the explosives in the places Chey hadn't filled in. He had already covered most of the area and they were only arming the bombs for another five minutes once she had shown up.

Once they were finished the two comrades gathered at the entrance of the section. Chey bent over at the first bomb and struck a spark rock near the wick, causing it to light.

Janan lunged to put it out, but Chey put up an arm to stop her and explained, "I recently came up with a slow burning wick, it will blow in another hour and set off a chain reaction that will blow the rest of the section away."

She stared at the small flame in awe, "That's quite impressive. I've never heard of a delayed bomb, that could be a big innovation for the Fire Nation. Although you don't seem to eager to share your invention with our homeland." She said the last part very knowingly with a slight smirk.

Chey kept his cool and replied indifferently, "I'm not stupid, I'm saving these inventions til after I retire so I can live off the money that I'll get selling the designs. If I showed it off now then I'd get nothing more than pat on the back and my superior taking credit for my invention. Kyudo taught me this a couple years back when he came up with much more streamlined arrows than the standard military issued ones. We have money after retirement and we have the advantages over a normal soldier, it's these little innovations we have made allow us to not be lying when we say we are the best archer and explosive expert. Plus, I know that you happen to be keeping some secrets from our nation as well. I'm sure they would love to get their hands on those wrist gauntlets that house your hidden knives. And I'm sure you aren't going to be turning that new sword in for inspection after this mission."

She lowered her head in defeat and decided to change the subject, "Yeah, the spirit let me have it, I couldn't believe it." She unsheathed the sword to admire it again.

Chey extended his hand out, "May I?" Janan handed him the blade in response. He swung it a few times back and forth, "Wow, with its intricate handle I expected it to be uncomfortable to hold. Usually these kinds of swords are just for decoration, but this one seems perfect for fighting."

Janan took the blade back and sheathed it, "An innovator and knowledgeable in blades, that begs the question. Why are you just a common soldier?"

He sighed sadly before answering, "Family tradition. My dad was a soldier and died in one of the unsuccessful sieges of the Northern Water Tribe. And since my mom had died giving birth to me I was left alone at ten, not that my dad was around much when he was in the navy. I mostly was with Kyudo for my childhood. So I joined the navy because of how difficult it would be for an orphan to make a name for himself."

Janan nodded understandingly, "My mom split from my dad after she couldn't take his abuse anymore. He used me as his own personal tool. I was the perfect errand girl for him, I was small enough to go anywhere he couldn't so he had me sneak into shops to steal. He abused me too though, I despised him for it. When I turned fourteen I decided I had been through enough. I used his training against him and killed him one night while he slept. Then I traveled the Fire Nation for two years before tapping into my training again and becoming an assassin. A year later a few Fire Nation soldiers came to recruit me and let's just say they were very persuasive."

Chey didn't even bat an eyelash at her confession, but did decide to steer the conversation in another direction, "It's a shame we are leaving the library soon. We both seemed to gain some knowledge from it."

Janan ignored his cryptic message and the two walked in silence back to their rendezvous point.

* * *

All six squad members arrived back at their exit point within the span of two minutes. The owl spirit swooped down on the bridge mere seconds before Zhao began his ascent. It spoke in its regal voice once more, "I thank you mortals, you have kept your oath of not damaging the library. I am very pleased to see that most of you have gained some knowledge, that is the entire purpose of this library."

Janan and Chey exchanged a worried glance before Zhao stepped forward to address the spirit, "Thank you divine spirit. We will leave in peace, as long as my fellow countrymen are finished perusing the vast collection of knowledge?" He turned to the squad and looked at Chey with a questioning glare. Chey nodded subtly to signify he accomplished his task.

The squad climbed up the rope, Janan and Chey stopped in the window sill to look back into the library sorrowfully. They descended the rope leading down the outside of the tower and started walking back the way they came through the desert. They made it no more than forty paces before an explosion rocked the ground underneath them. The squad didn't pause for a beat and continued through the blistering heat.

Their experience in the library seemed to have differing effects on each team member. Zhao held his head high and walked with such purpose that it was oozing from him. Mongke was clearly a lot more concerned about his self image and was constantly fixing the new set of feathers adorning his head. When he wasn't fixing the feathers, he was firing off random fire balls, which only added to the insufferable heat. Jee and Kyudo were each admiring their own personal treasure from the library. Janan and Chey were taking up the rear and were barely keeping up, both clearly had their minds elsewhere. Neither was walking with their confident gait that everyone who knew them had grown accustomed to.

Jee put his tile away and stared daggers into the back of Mongke's head, "Hey Mongke, will you cut that shit out! It's already hot enough out here without you spraying off fire like some pissed off teenager on Ember Island."

Mongke stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Jee, "Oh piss off old man. Unlike you, I like to stay in practice, not just play Pai Sho by myself all day."

"I've had more war experience than you five times over. I don't have to prove myself to a grunt like you."

"Oh yeah, look at how far that experience has gotten you? You're still a fucking private and you're 38."

Jee responded with a swift jab at Mongke's nose. The punch caught him off guard and he gripped at his now bloody nose, "Oh, you're gonna regret that." Mongke tackled the older man to the sand and the two continued wrestling in am undignified heap before the other squad mates separated them.

Zhao brought out his authoritative tone, "Enough! Until we get out of this desert I don't want to hear another sound out of any of you." The squad got the message and continued on their trek.

The walk out of the desert took only two days as opposed to the previous five. From there they secured transport to Omashu which took another two weeks. The squad was exhausted and when they finally crested over that final peak blocking the grand city from view, they expected relief to fill their minds. Instead, the images filled them with terror.

* * *

The slope leading down to Omashu was littered with Fire Nation corpses and armor. Nobody could even see any Earth Kingdom soldiers, there were over 5,000 men in the battalion that attacked the city and by the looks of it, nearly all of them were dead.

Towards the bridge that led into the city was a group of no more than ten Fire Nation soldiers surrounded by a group of little more than twenty Earth Kingdom troops.

Zhao turned to address his men, "Kyudo, stay here and provide cover fire. Chey, you protect Kyudo. Everyone else, you're with me, we have to rescue those men."

Kyudo's arrows were the first indication to the Earth Kingdom men that they were under attack. The first three arrows all hit their targets, three lethal blows to the head. Only seventeen Earth Kingdom soldiers were left. The captured men used this to their advantage and began firing back at their captors. Two more arrows and two more kills. The earthbenders focused on their former prisoners first. Each one brought a boulder in front of them and fired. The fifteen boulders resulted in five kills. The Fire Nation swordsmen and archers dropped, only the firebenders and one lone swordsman remained.

Zhao and the three others came up to the others moments after half the prisoners were dropped. Zhao took on two earthbenders and separated them between their comrades with a wall of fire. He fired two quick fire shots at one of them which caught him off guard and struck him dead instantly. The other bender was much more prepared and deflected all of Zhao's fire blasts. He eventually changed tactics and delivered a powerful flame kick to the head of his opponent, who had no time to bring up an earth shield in defense. The earthbender dropped just like his comrade.

Janan took on three of the soldiers in rapid succession. The first brought up a boulder to fire at her, but she had put one of her wrist knives in his throat before he got a chance to attack. She heard the next attack before she saw it and hopped over the approaching earth rubble. The earthbender attempted to fight her hand to hand, but was no match. She blocked his first punch and stabbed him with a quick knife jab in his ribs. He jumped back screaming in pain and placed one hand over the wound, Janan used this distraction to finish him off by slitting his throat quickly. The last bender came up from behind and grabbed hold of Janan's arms. Before she could wriggle for too long, the figure's grip loosened and fell flat on his face, an arrow sticking out of the back of his head. She looked up at the mountain to see Kyudo and Chey waving at her, she smiled slightly and turned back to the battle.

Jee and Mongke worked together to take on six earthbenders, their furious bending fueled by each trying to prove they were better than the other. Each of their powerful fire blasts led to the death of each earthbender.

By the time the squad was through with their individual battles, only two Fire Nation soldiers remained, a firebender and the swordsman. The four earthbenders remaining were dealt with swiftly by Zhao's squad. Zhao signaled the two soldiers to follow him and they ran back up to where Kyudo and Chey were stationed. Once they reached the peak the eight soldiers continued their sprint until they were a good half mile away from the city.

They all bent over with their hands on their knees to gather their breath. Zhao turned to the two stranger soldiers, "I need your names and ranks soldiers."

The firebender, who looked even younger than Chey, stepped forward, "I am Captain Lu Ten and this is Captain Piandao."

Even with him deepening it, his real voice shown through and gave away his age. Zhao eyed him suspiciously, "You're General Iroh's son. How old are you?"

Piandao, a man who looked to be nearly in his fifties, stepped in between them in defense of the young man, "He's sixteen and is the only reason I'm still alive. He also happens to the youngest captain in Fire Nation history, so he outranks you Junior Lieutenant Zhao."

Zhao was slightly rattled, but he was not deterred, "At least my team accomplished its mission." All the soldiers, Zhao's men included, shivered at the way that Zhao had just dismissed all those deaths as nothing. Zhao saw the shivers, and determined them as signals that he once again had the upper hand. "Good, now which one of you two wants to tell me exactly what happened at that battle."

Lu Ten stepped forward again, "I can hardly describe it. We had arrived in Omashu about two weeks ago and they had no more than three hundred troops. They were well dug in though and we couldn't push them back at all, but we knew that we could outlast them. Yesterday we were at 4,700 men and they had about 200 left with their defenses crumbling. Just when we thought the last of their defenses were gone, this crazy old earthbender comes out of nowhere. He was unstoppable, it took him only three hours to reduce our troop numbers down to three hundred men, everyone else was dead. We all thought we were dead for sure, but he just laughed madly and hopped back into the city with half of their remaining army. Those earthbenders fought gallantly and reduced us to what you saw earlier today."

The squad's mouths dropped, a single bender who took out an entire army, this could mean that their worst fear was coming true. Chey spoke softly, "Was it… the Avatar?"

Piandao shook his head, "No, I'm sure that he only was bending earth." The squad blew a sigh of relief.

Zhao recovered first, "Alright, let's just get back to the rendezvous point." They all nodded and began their long journey back to the coast. The once proud soldiers had their heads down and hardly spoke for the two week expedition.

* * *

_Month 10, Mid-Fall 91 ASC. Eight years prior to the Avatar's return…_

It had been about eight months since the disaster at Omashu and the squad's triumph in Wan Shi Tong's library. A lot had happened since then. During their short time together Kyudo, Chey, Janan, and Lu Ten all grew closer together, bonding due to the fact that they were all around the same age. Piandao joined Jee at his Pai Sho table, the two of them talking softly and playing the strategy game all day. Mongke tried to be around Zhao as much as possible. Their sadistic natures led to them becoming close allies. Jee and Mongke also had several instances of butting heads, much like in the desert. The rift between those two was beginning to become a rivalry.

Things started to change drastically before anything too serious happened between the two: first Captain Piandao was demoted for the loss at Omashu and sent to join General Iroh's army. Lu Ten could not be demoted since he was a member of the royal family, but chose to join Piandao instead of returning to the navy. Zhao had been promoted to captain of the _Elegant Dragon, _although he was still the leader of the elite task force. Mongke had been offered a position of colonel in the Fire Nation army, which he greedily accepted and left the squad, much to Jee's pleasure. Jee, Kyudo, Janan, and Chey lived aboard the ship and only had a few meaningless tasks in those months. They had no responsibilities and only answered to Zhao who was taking direct orders under their new fleet leader, Admiral Jeong Jeong. Admiral Jeong Jeong was under direct orders from Fire Lord Azulon.

The fleet was currently patrolling the coast of the northwestern Earth Kingdom coast. It was leading up to be another uneventful day for the squad when a messenger hawk came to their ship as opposed to the head of the fleet, _Calm Inferno_, like they normally did. Jee was sitting at his table as usual, Zhao was occupying space in the bridge, Kyudo was still studying the ballista, and Chey was begging Janan to teach him how to use swords, who continued to refuse. For the first few weeks that he asked her, Janan would get annoyed, but now she just played along. In truth, the two of them were growing much closer than any of the other squad members and they both enjoyed each other's company greatly.

The messenger hawk brought each squad mate out of their daily routine and they all looked eagerly when it landed on the railing outside the bridge. Captain Zhao took the scroll from the bird which promptly flew off afterwards. A few minutes later Zhao emerged from the base of the tower and the four other squad members gathered around him.

"Alright soldiers, it appears as if we finally have a mission. Our former teammate Colonel Mongke has just invited us to partake on his first mission. We will be joining his team, the Rough Rhinos, around the city of Gaipan. We will be there by the end of the week. Dismissed." Zhao turned back and climbed to his former posts. The other four members of the squad were ecstatic over news of their first mission in over a month.

* * *

Chey stood leaning over the railing at the bow of the ship, peering out at the nearby Earth Kingdom port. It was nearly midnight and they would be hitting land by tomorrow morning. He let out a light yawn just before the familiar cold feeling of steel was grazed across his throat.

Chey heard a light chuckle before the knife was withdrawn and he turned to see Janan smiling. "Come on Chey, I thought by now you would be listening to your surroundings better."

"Hey I shouldn't have to worry getting killed on this ship, can't you find a different way to greet me." The harsh undertone was clearly evident the way he spat out the words and Janan visibly recoiled. Chey sighed, "Sorry Janan, I'm just a little tired is all."

Janan stood by him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "I know that feeling, I haven't slept well in years."

"My problem has been more of a recent development, since we came back from Wan Shi Tong's library actually. I just can't help but feel like we did something wrong." Chey peered off into the moon thoughtfully.

"I know what you mean, that library was so well hidden, nobody was ever going to find it and gather information. That spirit was so nice and he gave me this amazing sword, his library didn't deserve what we did to it."

"Yeah, it didn't. Anyway, what do you think this mission is all about?"

"Well since this is Mongke we are dealing with, so it will be probably something that'll piss off Jee to no end." They both laughed at the comment before drifting off into silence. Their conversation drifted into various subjects and it carried them through the rest of the night, neither of them wanting to sleep anymore.

* * *

After their arrival in port, the squad of five was met by five gruff looking men riding Komodo Rhinos, one of which they recognized as Mongke. He stepped off his mount and bowed in greetings, "Hello my fellow squad. Allow me to introduce the members of my Rough Rhinos: there is Ogodei, the ball and chain expert. Then there is Yeh-Lu, the explosives master and over there we have Kahchi, a spear expert. And lastly we have Vachir, whose archery skills rival that of Kyudo."

Kyudo grunted at the insinuation and replied sarcastically, "I'll bet."

Zhao stepped up before the confrontation could escalate, "Tell me Colonel Mongke, what exactly is our mission?"

Mongke grinned menacingly at him, "Well, we will be destroying a small uprising that could cause problems to other colonies around the area. Load up in that wagon over there, we are leaving in an hour and it's only a half day trip."

The squad piled into the wagon and in only a few hours they had arrived in the forest outside the small village that the uprising was centered in. They had set up camp and were planning to take out the Earth Kingdom loyalists out at dawn the next day.

When the sun rose the soldiers came up with a tentative plan for how to take on the resistance. The Rough Rhinos and Zhao were going to attack the front of the village and send the resistance retreating towards the back of the village where Jee, Janan, Kyudo, and Chey would be waiting.

* * *

The squad, minus Zhao, had been waiting for fifteen minutes before the first signs of their allies' attacks were seen. The flames very quickly engulfed all the rooftops of the village and screams were heard from all over. Some of those screams clearly belonged to those who had been struck.

It was another five minutes before the first people came running in their direction. Everyone readied themselves when they heard the footsteps, but all of them relaxed when they saw four civilian families running away from their burning homes.

The squad awaited the retreating soldiers that would surely come after the civilians. When they heard more footsteps they expected to see a group of earthbenders to come running at them, but they only saw the Rough Rhinos and Zhao coming.

Mongke yelled when he saw the people running, "What are you doing? You let them get out of here!"

The four squad members looked at each other with confused looks before Mongke snorted and the Rough Rhinos set out after the families. Jee and Chey recovered and once they realized what was going on, chased after Mongke.

The family, composed of two parents and a young boy of maybe seven, that Mongke had chased made it to a small clearing before he had caught up with them. Jee and Chey managed to break into the clearing just before Mongke attacked.

The flames raced at the family and the father had only a moment to push his son away before the flames engulfed him and his wife. The boy hadn't seen them get killed due to him falling on his stomach, but Chey and Jee saw everything.

Mongke turned to the boy and the two squad mates jumped into action. Chey grabbed the boy and Jee was able to block the flames before they reached their target.

Chey, realizing he only had a few seconds, set the boy down and managed to find his voice, "RUN KID! GO GO GO!" The information seemed to finally sink into the kid's mind and he turned and started sprinting into the forest.

Chey turned back to Jee and Mongke, whose glares were equally fierce towards each other. Jee found his voice first, "WHAT THE FUCK! Mongke, what in Agni's name are you doing?"

Mongke matched his ferocity, "These people were conspiring against the Fire Nation Jee!"

"They were fucking families Mongke! You were about to kill a little boy!"

"They are our fucking enemy!"

"You're a lunatic Mongke, they weren't even armed! There is no honor in attacking innocent people!"

"There's no honor in going against one of you own, which is exactly what you just did!"

The rest of their screaming match was lost with Chey, his head was spinning and he fell flat on his face. When he attempted to regain his posture, his eyes made contact with the badly burnt corpses of the two parents.

Their bodies were beyond recognition at this point and at the sight of them, Chey began vomiting violently. Even after he emptied the contents of his stomach, Chey somehow managed to continue to expel waste. He hoped that this would actually kill him, he couldn't stand that he was associated with the murder of innocent people.

The rest of the Fire Nation soldiers burst through the brush and into the clearing. Kyudo joined Jee on his side of the yelling contest while Zhao and the Rough Rhinos backed Mongke. Janan kneeled next to Chey and rubbed his back soothingly.

Chey thought he was done before something else hit him. The smell of burning flesh soon filled the air and once it reached Chey's nostrils he retched again.

After another hour of intense argument, everyone eventually calmed, but they didn't reach any sort of agreement. Jee, Chey, Kyudo, and Janan all ran ahead of the others, refusing to walk with the others. They made it to the ship and everyone locked themselves in their own cabins.

Many things happened that day, but two memories would forever be burned into Chey's mind. It wasn't that the squad, except Zhao, nearly got into a deadly fight with Zhao and the Rough Rhinos. It wasn't that he had actually wished he could die. The two things that he would never forget was the look of absolute fear on the child's face before Mongke attacked and the other was the indescribable smell.

Those two memories would haunt Chey forever. He promised himself after that day that if he ever saw Zhao or Mongke ever hurt someone hurt an innocent person, he would kill them on the spot. Chey didn't care if he was killed for treason, he couldn't stand ever seeing that same look or smelling that awful stench ever again.

Jee's rivalry with Mongke had turned into pure hatred and Kyudo would no longer talk to Zhao. Janan, who acted harshly towards Zhao even before the mission, made a promise that Zhao would pay for this and for just a moment, Chey considered not even getting on the _Elegant Dragon_ and just leaving this life behind forever.

* * *

AN: Well that was fun to write. As you could probably guess, this story will not be as tame as that first chapter may have led you to believe.

Anyway, there are a few things I would like to say about this chapter: 1) The library spirit is nice to the Fire Nation, it is actually their actions that cause the spirit to turn bitter. 2) In case you didn't know, Piandao actually was in the army and that was King Bumi who defeated that Fire Nation battalion. 3) The young boy from that village is in fact Jet, I considered not telling you guys, but I don't think it will be to crucial to the plot so I decided it wouldn't be a big deal to share that fact. Plus most of you probably guessed that anyway.

Now then, a few more things need to be addressed. Please refer to the first chapter's author's note to see how I am changing how I record time in this story. In case you were curious, this is how you pronounce my original character's names: Kyudo= Kyew-doh and Janan= Jan-in.

Also, exciting news, I have the rest of the story completely outlined. So this story is going to moving along quite smoothly now.

Alright, that's it for my long author's note. I always appreciate hearing your theories, so if you have any, then please do share. Thank you to those who read/review and please enjoy this chapter of The Deserted and Forgotten.


	3. The Admiral

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

Jee, Janan, Kyudo, and Chey had all scheduled a meeting with Admiral Jeong Jeong at the next available opportunity. He was able to see them two days after their latest mission, and the squad had yet to have contact with Captain Zhao since then. They came aboard the _Calm Inferno _and headed up to the bridge.

Jeong Jeong stood with his back turned to the hatch looking out at the endless sea. When he heard the metallic door open he didn't flinch but told the helmsman to leave them.

The master firebender turned to face them and each one of them took a slight step back upon seeing the two scars that cut across his right eye. Other than that he looked completely unmarred, his silvery hair was pulled neatly into a top knot that rested atop the crown of his head.

The squad bowed to him and he in turn bowed as well before speaking, "Ah, so this is the squad that my former pupil has told me so much about. Tell me, where is Zhao?"

Jee, having been designated as the "leader" of their group, spoke up, "Actually sir, we are here to discuss a matter involving Captain Zhao and Colonel Mongke."

"What is your name soldier?"

"Private Jee, sir."

"Ok, Private Jee, please tell me your concerns."

Jeong Jeong listened to the recap of the mission that the squad had undertaken just two days prior, his face growing bleaker as the story continued on. Jee finished and it was another few minutes before Jeong Jeong spoke again, "My student really did learn nothing." It was so softly spoken that they had to strain to hear him. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I will be delivering swift justice to Captain Zhao. As of right now, he is no longer your squad leader. That title now belongs to newly promoted Lieutenant Jee. Dismissed." The squad bowed once again before shuffling towards the hatch. "Wait just one moment. You in the back, please come see me." The squad looked towards Chey before continuing out of the bridge. Jeong Jeong waited until the door was closed to address him, "I need your name, trooper."

"Private Chey, sir."

"Alright Private Chey, here's what I want from you. Every two weeks I want you to report to me. I will be asking you various questions about everything that happens in those two weeks, so stay vigilant."

"May I ask why, sir?"

"Let's just say that you appear to have a good head on your shoulders and I want to make sure nothing else this serious happens again."

* * *

Two weeks passed before the squad heard anything about what had happened to Zhao. It wasn't until Chey's first visit with Admiral Jeong Jeong did they learn what had happened.

Apparently, Jeong Jeong had been furious at Zhao for what he did and demoted him all the way down to a lowly ship hand. Word spread quickly to Fire Lord Azulon, who overturned Jeong Jeong's demotion and commended Zhao for his accomplishments. The Fire Lord promoted him to a commander and gave him control of several ships in a different fleet. His ships were the first to begin to form the blockade in the Mon Ce Sea which was the main body of water between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. The Fire Lord had apparently heard rumors of the Earth Kingdom's navy improving and set up the blockade in order to protect the homeland.

The squad was quite angry that Zhao's demotion was not permanent, but was happy to have him gone from their lives.

* * *

_Month 3, Beginning of Spring 92 ASC: Seven years prior to the Avatar's return…_

Chey had kept up with his scheduled visits with Jeong Jeong as promised. When he first began these meetings he had anticipated them to be very brief check-ins on the daily operations of the squad. Instead, Jeong Jeong and him were having sometimes hour long chats about all things ranging from philosophy to their past lives before joining the Fire Nation's ranks.

It was through these talks that Chey learned that Zhao had been Jeong Jeong's best firebending student, that was until Zhao began to grow impatient and only wanted the raw power that came with firebending. Zhao stopped learning from Jeong Jeong soon afterwards and the two had been on bad terms ever since.

Their latest meeting led to Chey learning about the Admiral's harbored secret. The firebending master was ashamed of his bending, calling it a curse. He had said that firebenders must walk a fine line between humanity and savagery. Jeong Jeong believed that more recently he was turning into more of a savage and less of a human being. Chey had been blessed by being able to receive insight on the personal life of a great master, but he could not believe that he had just heard Jeong Jeong's great revelation. Chey understood what a risk the Admiral had just taken, talking like that is considered treason in the Fire Nation, yet he had trusted Chey enough to reveal his burdens to him. Chey was not going to take that trust for granted either.

Nearly two weeks had passed since that meeting and the fleet had just arrived in the port of Hankou. The entire pier was just a cesspool for crime and shady dealings. Naturally, the Fire Nation sailors fell in love with the place and were off indulging themselves in all manners of alcohol and gambling.

Jee had been complaining recently that his Pai Sho set was missing some of the newer tiles that had just been produced, so he and Janan set off to find them in the marketplace. Chey took the empty ship as a sign that he too should go out and peruse the local wares. He dragged Kyudo out of his cabin and the two went out for some dinner in the town.

By the time they had returned, the ship was a complete disaster. The men apparently took it upon themselves to destroy valuable equipment and make the entire deck and underbelly a complete mess. Kyudo and Chey figured that the Captain would give the men an earful; that was until they saw him partying below deck with some of the crew. The two then set off to find Janan and Jee, both of whom would be furious at the crew. However, they found Jee drunkenly teaching an inebriated Janan how to play Pai Sho.

Seeing that any hope of the men being reprimanded was gone, Chey and Kyudo returned to their respective cabins. Chey ignored that his cabin door was not only unlocked, but also slightly ajar, and fell face first into his bed.

Kyudo burst into his cabin no more than five seconds later, "They took it! Chey they took it!"

"Took what Kyudo?"

"They took the designs for the latest invention I've been working on!"

This sparked Chey into action. He hopped out of bed and took out his personal trunk. The blueprints to his explosive innovations had also been stolen, "Do you think the men took it?"

Kyudo shook his head, "No, these locks were picked. All of them are way too drunk to do something like this. Somebody must have snuck on board while we were all away, that's why the place is so ransacked."

"What should we do?"

"Well, I can't let those designs fall into the wrong hands, so we are going after the thieves, we'll tell Janan and Jee to hold the ship in port until we are back. Now then, get ready."

Kyudo left to his cabin to prepare and Chey tore through his wardrobe and pulled out a pair of black pants and matching long sleeve shirt. He stripped down and put on his stealth outfit. Kyudo returned dressed in similar fashion to Chey and was carrying two bows and quivers filled with arrows. He tossed one of each onto Chey's bed, who looked at them questioning. "What do I need a bow and arrow for?"

"Whoever stole those designs is no amateur. They knew how valuable that they are and will go through great lengths to protect them. So we need to go at them with range and stealth, neither of which you are too adept in. Plus, I've always wanted to show you how to properly use a bow."

Chey nodded and grabbed his supplies and bow before the two set off back to the deck of the ship. They made sure that Janan and Jee knew they would be setting off and walked back into the marketplace.

Kyudo led Chey into a tavern where half the town seemed to be congregating. The archer confidently strolled up to beefiest man he could find and asked him for information on the thieves. The man laughed at Kyudo's short stature, who in turn flattened the muscular man and pinned him to the ground. The information followed closely afterwards. Apparently, some pirates had been in earlier bragging about how they had just ripped off a Fire Nation ship. They hightailed it up the river with their two ships, hoping the soldiers would never notice their presence.

The two friends made the hike along the river and stopped once they saw the bright lights of two ships docking on the sandy shores a mere two hundred feet away. They crouched down and Kyudo led them into the thick forest bordering the river. The night sky aided their stealthy approach. Kyudo put up a hand to halt their progress, "We are going to stop here and set up camp for the night. They're sure to be on guard tonight so we will observe them and wait for the right moment to strike."

Chey and Kyudo concealed their tents in some brush and Chey volunteered to take first watch.

"Sorry, Chey, but we are not going to be staying here tonight. First I need to teach you how to use that bow."

So the two set off into the forest, where Kyudo led Chey up to a tall branch in one of the many trees. He showed Chey how to properly hold the bow and ready an arrow and then they sat, waiting. Anytime Chey was about to complain to Kyudo about boredom, he was silenced by Kyudo placing a hand in front of his mouth.

Finally, something disturbed the peaceful silence that was encompassing the entire forest. The sound of a small twig snapping would have gone unnoticed to most, but Chey and Kyudo were trained to listen to everything.

Two men, wearing filth covered clothes and plastered with various tattoos, came stumbling into the meadow below their perch. Kyudo motioned to Chey to ready an arrow and take aim at one of the men.

Chey steadied the bow and aimed for the man's head on the left. It would not be the first time that he used his archery skills, Chey and Kyudo used to both study the art when they were teenagers, but Chey lost interest once he discovered explosives. That being said, the man was an easy target. He was fifty feet away and was standing still at the edge of the meadow, staring out into the denser part of the forest. Kyudo signaled to fire in five seconds and counted down the time on his fingers. His fingers retreated one by one and Chey released the string at zero. The arrow cut through the air and struck the man in the back of his head. Chey slivered slightly at the sight of his first kill, hoping that it would get easier after this. Kyudo's arrow hit its target as well and both figures fell to the ground.

The two soldiers jumped their way to the two men's final resting place and Chey spoke for the first time in hours, "Not bad, huh Kyudo?"

"Hey, if they had been any farther you would have missed. We need to get you to tap back into that training from all those years ago."

"Hey, I can still shoot. Why did we kill these guys anyway?"

"They were pirates, out scouting to make sure that we didn't go looking for them. Now that they're dead, the pirates are sure to know something is up. So we need to get you back to shooting like a true archer."

They spent the next several hours trying to hone Chey's talents. Kyudo had Chey shoot at the base of trees which were varying distances away. Although he was hitting all his targets, Kyudo continued to train him, saying he still wasn't ready. Finally, Kyudo came up with a final test, which Chey deemed completely insane.

Chey was to stand at the peak of a small mountain overlooking the entire forest. Kyudo would be posted at the base of the mountain with a pinecone placed atop his head. Chey had protested to this plan, but knowing how stubborn his friend could be, gave in. They were a good five hundred feet away from each other and Kyudo somehow expected Chey to knock the pinecone off his head without killing him. Chey could hardly see him, let alone the pinecone.

Kyudo told him he must find the state of mind in which he was at perfect serenity. When he asked for an explanation, Kyudo just ignored him. So here Chey stood; bow ready and trying to find this supposed place of serenity. He thought about what serene actually meant. He thought of a family enjoying a dinner together, a fisherman after his first catch, or a father patting his son on the shoulder showing how proud he was.

That's where Chey found his point of pure bliss. A memory of his father, on leave from the navy for the first time since Chey had been born. His father had taken him out to Ember Island to experience his first boating excursion. The sail of the ship had been damaged and needed to be repaired while at sea. Chey had climbed the mast and secured the sail back to its wooden structure. Chey stood atop the mast looking out at the setting sun on the horizon with his father looking onwards.

Chey smiled at the thought of the childhood memory and found himself in a state of what he would call serene. He readied the arrow and shot, he didn't even bother checking to see if he had hit his target before walking down the mountain. At the base of the mountain was a smiling Kyudo and a pinecone stuck to a tree by an arrow.

* * *

The two spent the rest of the day spying on the two pirate ships. One of the ships appeared to hold all the cargo, while the other one held the crew's quarters. The plan was to wait until nightfall and sneak aboard the cargo ship and steal back the designs.

The pirates figured out about their comrade's demise about midday and since then they had been on high alert. Their guards' patterns were fairly simple and Chey and Kyudo learned them in no time, now it was just a matter of waiting for the cover of night.

Once the sun gave way to the moon, Kyudo and Chey readied themselves for their assault. There was a group of six pirates guarding the ramp up to the ship, another four patrolling the deck, and even more were sure to be beneath the deck.

Chey took their positions atop the high branches of a tree nearby the ship. Kyudo signaled to Chey and their operation began. Two arrows shot out from their high perch and hit the two men standing near the helm of the ship, the sounds of water rushing from the river concealing the sounds of the arrows. Their next two arrows followed soon afterwards and finished off the two men remaining on deck. Chey was slightly disgusted that he had no remorse killing these men.

Kyudo put a hand on Chey's shoulder and showed him to string three arrows on his bow for the next shot. If they didn't take out all six men, then the pirates would be alerted to their presence and there was no way they could take on all of them.

Chey had never tried shooting more than two arrows at a time and he was inaccurate when he did try. However, he knew that Kyudo was counting on him and he had to be confident. He strung the arrows and held his breath. Kyudo's signal came and Chey released the string. Kyudo's targets all dropped and, much to his surprise, so did Chey's.

The two Fire Nation men deserted their positions and climbed aboard the pirate ship, taking silent steps as to not alert anyone below deck. The sounds of drunken merriment could be heard loudly escaping from the hatch leading below deck.

Kyudo whispered in Chey's ears, "Good, they're distracted, this will be easy. I'll go get the designs back, you set up enough explosives to blow this ship up, in case they made any duplicates."

Kyudo disappeared through the hatch and Chey set out on his work. The ship was composed entirely of wood and wouldn't take much to take down. He put three medium sized bombs at the stern, bow, and the mast. Each one had one his favorite slow burning wicks and he lit them in preparation of Kyudo's return. His friend returned with the scrolls in hand and the two set off back into the forest. The explosives resounded through the trees five minutes after they left, which illuminated their walk back into town.

That night, they toasted their victory at a local tavern and returned to the ship the next morning. Chey was reminded of those teenage years that he spent with Kyudo. Them going off on adventures, staying up for days at a time, and generally avoiding the authorites. The only difference between then and now was the killing, which Chey was still not entirely comfortable with. Kyudo seemed to have no problem ending someone's life, in fact he once told Chey it was "better them than me." Chey was happy though, to be spending more time with his friend, he now knew that not even the war could cause them to drift apart.

* * *

_Month 1, Mid-Winter 93 ASC: Six years prior to the Avatar's return…_

The months began passing by much slower for those aboard the _Elegant Dragon_. The squad was serving less and less missions and constantly being passed up by the Fire Lord's favorite man, Commander Zhao.

Instead of complaining though, the squad preoccupied themselves with their normal meaningless daily routines. Chey had continued his incessant begging of Janan and she was finally beginning to show signs of waning.

"Alright fine Chey, I'll teach you, just stop asking!" An irate Janan protested before Chey even began his daily begging. Chey broke out into an infectious smile. "But, we are going to do this training the right way. That means no slacking and you are going to listen to everything I have to say." Chey nodded and Janan led him into the galley of the ship.

They were on the balcony that circled and overlooked the galley, which was a fifteen foot drop. Janan jumped on the railing and circled the balcony in no time at all.

Chey gulped, "Do I have to do that?"

"No, not yet at least. That will the final test to see if you are agile enough to compete with me. You see, I am going to train you in everything I'm versed in, that includes stealth and agility. Now then, let's get you started on something a little easier."

That is how they found themselves at the base of the stairs leading up to the deck of the ship. Janan pointed at the railing, "I want you to climb up this, you may fall, but at least the fall won't kill you."

That reassurance did very little in the way of comforting Chey, who tried to prove his worth in front of Janan and tackled the stairs immediately. After the first five failed attempts amounting to no more than a few feet up the railing, Janan put an end to his torment, "Stop Chey. You're going about this all wrong. Don't be so heavy, you have to be light and nimble. You aren't climbing it, you're gliding across them."

Chey's next attempt yielded much better results, he made it halfway up the 20 foot staircase before tumbling back down. Chey realized in horror, the farther he made it without reaching the top, the more he got hurt from the tumble. Janan eased his worries, "Don't worry Chey, that's enough of that for today, we're moving on to sword training."

After a quick stop at the armory to get hey a sword, the two made their way onto the deck. A standard issued katana was the weapon given to Chey, while Janan was using the katana she received in the library, which she lovingly called _Blue Sun_.

Janan began the lesson with a few basic attacks and defends, going over the beginning of the art of sword fighting. She ended the lesson with a spar. Chey may be knowledgeable in blades, but he had never actually delved into practicing.

Chey charged at Janan with his sword above his head, hoping to catch her off guard. She blocked the charge expertly and turned her hips to knock him in the stomach. Chey was knocked slightly off balance which created the opening Janan was counting on. She slid one hand off her hilt and between Chey's hand and hilt. Then with a violent jam of her shoulder, she stole Chey's sword and knocked him to the floor. The two swords were at his throat before he even got the chance to move.

A beaming Janan was standing above him with her foot pinning his chest, "Good job, next time let's see if you can last more than ten seconds." She offered Chey a hand up and the two set off for the next bit of training.

The next lesson was all about stealth. Chey was supposed to sneak up and scare Jee without him noticing, who apparently has quite the keen senses and is near impossible to surprise. The setting didn't exactly play into Chey's hand either, Jee was set up with his table at the bow of the ship with no cover between him and the command tower. Chey initially couldn't believe this was an actual lesson, Jee was getting up there in years and any time he was playing Pai Sho it was like the world disappeared outside his little table.

Naturally Chey was overconfident and simply silenced his steps and began walking towards the squad leader.

"What do you want Chey?" Jee's calm remark froze Chey in place over ten feet away from the table. He flushed slightly upon hearing Janan's laughter from the command tower and turned around to stomp back to the command tower.

Janan was still in fits by the time he arrived, which served to only further frustrate him, "Alright Chey, I think that's enough for today. I can't laugh anymore, we'll pick it back up tomorrow."

They continued their schedule for months, each day Chey would do a little better in each lesson, but he would still return to bed each night covered in bruises. He started actually turning their spars into intense sword battles, was making it nearly all the way up the stair railing every time, and managed to get within five feet before Jee noticed him.

Chey mastered the lessons in agility first. One day he realized that the only way he would ever be on the same level as Janan, he had to be confident in himself. So instead of going to their normal staircase Chey led Janan back to the galley. Before he explained what he was doing, Chey hopped up on the railing.

"No Chey don't! You're going to get yourself killed." Janan nervously exclaimed.

"Wow, Janan. I can't believe you actually care about me, I'm touched." She crossed her arms at his sarcasm.

Chey took a deep breath and began his lap around the balcony. The beginning was a little shaky, nearly losing his footing twice in the first half of the lap. After each misstep Janan let out an audible gasp, which was not doing wonders for Chey's shaky confidence. When he performed the second half of the railing flawlessly Janan practically tackled him into a hug.

"Don't ever fucking scare me like that again!"

Chey did not make light of her concern this time, "Um yeah, don't worry Janan. I'll always be here."

Janan had determined that Chey no longer needed to have agility lessons, so the two focued entirely on their sword spars and stealth lesson.

Chey mastered the art of sword battling next. It was turning into their normal spar, Chey would parry and defend for a few minutes, even managing to get a few attacks in, but eventually he would falter and Janan would gain the upper hand. This time was proving to be different. Chey blocked Janan's upper handed slice, typically a move she used to get him to back down. However, Chey met the attack with just as much ferocity. He disengaged his blade and took a quick jab at her left, then her right. She blocked both, but was quickly giving ground. Chey swung hard at her chest which she easily blocked, but Chey would not allow her to move the blades apart. Whilst she was distracted by the strength battle, Chey slid his foot behind hers and with a quick push of his shoulder, tripped her to the deck. His sword was pointed at her throat before she got the chance to raise her blade.

Now it all came down to being able to scare Jee. Chey decided to change tactics because no matter how silent he was, Jee would be able to sense his presence. Chey's brilliant idea was then to hang over the edge of the ship, dangling over the water. He cautiously worked his way to the bow of the ship, hoping that Jee wouldn't see his fingers on the railing. Jee gave no indication of knowing he was there, so he knew now was the perfect chance. Chey used the last of his evaporating strength to hoist himself onto the deck right in front of Jee. Jee looked up from his game, raised an eyebrow, and then returned to his game. Luckily for Chey, Janan said that it counted.

Chey felt loads more confident after his training with Janan was through. He was now skilled in archery, swords, stealth, and agility. To celebrate the end of his training, Janan had made him his very own wrist gauntlets with hidden knives. According to her, they are "the assassin's choice" for weapons. At first they felt clunky and awkward, but much like Janan's lessons, Chey got used to them.

* * *

_Month 1, Mid-Winter 94 ASC: Five years prior to the Avatar's return…_

Over the months that he trained with Janan, Chey's meetings with Admiral Jeong Jeong were becoming less and less frequent. Either Chey was on some mundane task or Jeong Jeong was on another one of his leaves.

Chey was lounging around on deck the day that him and Jeong Jeong usually met. Janan was chatting with Kyudo about his obsession with the ship's armaments while Chey rested on the railing of the ship.

One of the crewmen came rushing up to Chey telling him that he needed to see Admiral Jeong Jeong immediately. Chey told the man that he would see him at the next port, but apparently it was so important that the fleet was immediately halting just so Chey could cross over to the _Calm Inferno_.

Chey crossed over to the other ship and was escorted to the Admiral's personal quarters. The men sealed the door behind Chey who was staring directly at Jeong Jeong's turned form from across the room. Candles were lit all around and it seemed as if he didn't even know Chey had entered.

"Welcome Chey, please have a seat." Chey did as we was told and took the lone chair sitting in the corner farthest from the Admiral. "You are probably wondering why I have brought you here."

The Admiral turned to him, "Let me start off by saying what an honor it has been serving with you Chey. You are a man of great passion and knowledge, don't let it go to waste. Now then, it pains me to say that I will be leaving the Fire Nation Navy, they have offered me a nice home inside the Caldera and a steady retirement income. However, before I leave behind my navy days, the Fire Lord has given me the opportunity to partake in one last mission." Chey noticed his tone was growing noticeably sadder with each passing word. "He told me my mission was to go to the Southern Water Tribe. The spies in the area have reported that there is only one waterbender left in the entire tribe. Fire Lord Azulon has honored me by providing the opportunity of vanquishing the last waterbender in the south."

Chey smiled and prepared to congratulate his leader, but the words were caught in his throat at the sight of the man in front of him. Jeong Jeong continued after a long sad pause, "I have been a fool for far too long. I thought by helping our nation I would be helping to put an end to this destruction. I now see that so long as the Fire Nation is in charge, there will only be destruction. I can no longer continue down this constant warpath, that is why I have passed up the mission to the Southern Raiders and I am going to desert the Fire Nation."

Chey was stunned for a few moments before finally responding, "What? Sir? That's crazy!"

The Admiral lightly chuckled at Chey's flustered objection, "Please, do not call me Sir. I no longer go by any Fire Nation title. Also, I'm thinking clearly for the first time in my life."

Before Chey could object any further, the messenger from before knocked on the door, "Admiral Jeong Jeong, General Iroh is here to see you."

Jeong Jeong flashed a smile at Chey before taking a sip of tea, "Excellent, send him in."

* * *

AN: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A lot happening this time around and I left you at a bit of a cliffhanger. Honestly, I don't have much to say, so I thank those who read/review and I hope to get the next chapter out soon.

Also, in the show's canon, Jeong Jeong deserts in 90 ASC, so that is one subtle thing I'm changing. Please tell me any theories you have because, believe it or not, this chapter had a lot of foreshadowing.


	4. The Siege

Chey bowed respectfully once the renowned Dragon of the West entered the Admiral's quarters. The man regarded Chey curiously before speaking, "Please do not bow before me, I have not yet earned your respect."

Chey looked around nervously before slowly rising. Jeong Jeong stepped forward and greeted Iroh with the traditional Fire Nation salute, "Hello, old friend. I know that you have much to discuss with Chey so I'll be quick. I assume that you have made those arrangements for me?"

"Yes, indeed I have. My men will escort you to a private river boat and from there you'll embark on your special mission."

The two exchanged a brief hug before Jeong Jeong turned back to Chey. The Admiral placed a scroll in Chey's hand and leaned in to whisper, "Do not open this until you have truly understood my decision. You are a smart man, do not let others take you down with their downfalls. The one who finds his own path is the one with the greatest destiny."

With those closing words Jeong Jeong left his quarters and left Iroh and Chey to themselves. Chey was staring aimlessly at the door before Iroh's throat clearing drew his attention, "So Chey, I know you may be curious as to what just happened and I can assure you that you will get your answers. But for now, I have a mission for you..."

* * *

Chey received his orders from General Iroh; him and the squad were going to join his army and launch the assault on Ba Sing Se. The mission's success would mean the end of the war and Chey would rather not think about what would happen if they failed.

He was just meandering around the _Calm Inferno_ wondering what his next course of action should be. Jeong Jeong deserting the military was considered treason of the highest offence and there was no doubt Chey should report it. So he found himself staring at the door to the bridge, debating whether or not to enter.

After his meeting with Iroh he had gone straight to this very door to report Jeong Jeong to the captain. He couldn't manage to knock then or the second time he returned five minutes later. Now the third time through and Chey still couldn't do it so he returned to the _Elegant Dragon_, still quite dazed.

He reported to Jee their mission and returned to his cabin. Chey lay in his bed splitting his gaze between the ceiling and the scroll he received from his former superior. He knew that he didn't understand Jeong Jeong's decision, yet the curiosity was driving him crazy. The temptation was too great and he knew there was only one way to resolve the problem. He leapt up from his bed and headed to the cabin three doors down.

Chey knocked three times. "Come in," Janan's voice rang through the air. He entered and saw Janan facing the far wall reading a book. "What is it Chey?" She had always told him she could identify someone just from their footsteps and was constantly proving it.

"I... um I wanted to ask you for a favor." This piqued her interest and she turned to face him. He pulled the scroll out from his back, "Could you please keep this from me?"

"Come again?" She asked quite perplexed.

"This scroll is really important and I'm just not ready to read it. So I need you to make sure I don't read it until I'm ready."

"How I am supposed to know you're ready? Chey, you're not making any sense."

"I know, I know. Just keep it for me for a few months, okay?"

"Yeah... sure." She continued to regard him curiously before putting the scroll on her desk.

"So... did Jee tell you about the mission?"

"Yeah, sounds fun."

"Only you would think invading the Earth Kingdom capital is fun."

"Eh. It's just like any other mission. Maybe we'll finally get to go home afterwards."

"I guess so. Hey if you weren't in the Fire Nation forces what would you be doing?"

"What? Chey, what is up with you tonight?"

"Nothing, I'm just curious."

"Alright, well I never really thought of that. I guess I just really would want people to remember me for something. Sounds stupid I know."

"No, it actually makes a lot of sense. You want to leave behind a legacy, I get that. Anyway, I guess I'll see you later." He left the room and the burden of the scroll behind.

* * *

_Month 2, Late-Winter 94 ASC: Five years prior to the Avatar's return…_

The squad was packed in tightly in the back of a komodo dragon-drawn wagon about half a mile from Ba Sing Se. They were in the second brigade of troops and were originally just going to help the first brigade with clearing out the remaining troops. However, the horror stories reached the squad and they weren't sure if they were headed to a battlefield or graveyard.

Tales were told of how the Earth Kingdom troops outnumbered the Fire Nation troops five to one, how they were torturing any of their prisoners, and how they would then brain wash them and put them in their army. All these stories had the squad feeling quite tense and apprehnsive about this new mission.

Jee, being the leader, tried to calm his squad down, "You know what's funny? My son would probably be happy about the Fire Nation losing."

Kyudo, Janan, and Chey all turned to their leader. Janan was the first to speak, "I didn't know you have a son Jee."

"Yeah, I had him with my third wife I believe. Roky is his name. He's a firebender and I just couldn't wait to start teaching him all I knew. The problem was, almost from the moment he could talk he started talking out against the Fire Nation. He always thought this war was unjust and tried to convince everyone else it was too. Luckily for him, we lived in the outer islands so there weren't too many Fire Nation troops to arrest him for speaking against the Fire Lord. I couldn't take him telling me the Fire Nation was evil anymore, so I left him and my wife for the navy and haven't looked back since. I think the kid's eighteen now. I'll be sure to send him the record of our victory here just to prove him wrong as a birthday gift."

The story brought a slight smile to everyone's faces and the wagon came to a halt a few minutes later. The four squad mates parted the flaps of the wagon cover and laid their eyes on the battle before them. There were several Fire Nation trebuchets aimed at the outer wall of the city and tents housing Fire Nation troops lining the landscape. The first signs of battle were several thousand Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation men fighting over five hundred yards away, right below the wall. The outer well still looked completely intact as well.

Jee brought the squad to the main tent in the center of camp. They went inside the tent and saw Iroh hovering over a map of the area. He straightened up once he heard them enter. "Ah welcome to Ba Sing Se. I know you don't all know me, but I have heard of the legendary feats of Jee, Janan, Chey, and Kyudo. Now then, I have a very important task for you. I need you to go west of here to the Serpent's Pass. We control the west lake, but are unable to land any of our troops due to Earth Kingdom troops being stationed at the only suitable pier. Eliminate these troops and we'll be able to have four times the number of soldiers as we do now."

"Yes sir." They all responded and bowed respectfully.

The half day voyage to the Serpent's Pass had them arriving shortly after dusk. They all prepped themselves on the wagon ride over. Janan wore all black with nothing but her swords and wrist blades as weapons. Kyudo wore brown robes that he claimed helped him blend in with the environment more, he also claimed these would be the uniforms of the archer task force he would eventually create. He, of course, was armed with only his trusty bow. Jee wore traditional Fire Nation armor as well as Chey. Jee needed only his bending for protection while Chey brought along a bag of explosives and his new wrist gauntlets containing the hidden blades. Their plan was fairly simple: kill everyone who got in their way.

Kyudo scouted the area and came back with a report that there were only twelve earthbenders guarding the pier. Kyudo took a post among the low cliffs surrounding the pier. Chey and Janan snuck up behind the camp and waited for Jee to create some sort of diversion. His diversion came in the form of two fireballs that finished off the two guards of the camp. The earthbenders all started running towards Jee after the outburst. Janan and Chey grabbed the two in back and stabbed them in the necks with their wrist blades. Kyudo's first arrow stuck another target and the remaining seven earthbenders realized they were under attack from all sides.

Three earthbenders moved in on Jee. One dropped immediately from another of Kyudo's arrows. Jee attacked with as much force as he could muster. He set a fire stream at the target on his left, who stood no chance and quickly fell. The last earthbender disrupted the ground beneath Jee's feet and the firebender lost his balance and fell flat on his back. The soldier was fast and pulled a dagger out and jumped on top of Jee. Jee grabbed the man's wrists before the knife was able to penetrate his chest, but he was in a losing battle of strengths against the much younger man. Jee knew he wasn't beat though and he used his bending to heat up his hands. The man screamed in agony as his wrists began to burn, he rolled off of Jee and dropped the dagger on the ground. Jee grabbed the dagger and ended the man's pain with a quick stab in his heart.

Chey was faced off against two earthbenders of his own. He threw down a smoke bomb which covered the area all around the three men. The earthbenders began to panic and throw around several boulders in all directions. Their attacks only helped Chey locate them in the smoke and he grabbed the first man and ended his life with a stab to his throat. The second man got lucky and one of his stray boulders hit Chey square in the shoulder. Chey grunted in pain and the man charged him. The earthbender hit Chey with a shoulder charge and Chey hit the ground hard. The man raised a sharp rock above Chey's chest. Chey had lightening fast reaction though and sprung up to stab the man in the chest. He staggered back clutching his chest and Chey ended him with another quick stab.

Janan had the easiest time against her two opponents. She drew her sword and stabbed the first man through the chest faster than he could bring up any sort of defense. The second man started firing several smaller boulders while retreating backwards. Janan rolled under the assault and slashed two gashes into the man. He hissed and tripped over a stray rock. His slight stumble allowed Janan time to get close and she stabbed him through the throat.

The four squad members gathered at the center of the camp and Jee started the bonfire in order to signal the offshore ships of their mission success. They then sat around the fire awaiting the ships impending arrival.

"Well, I'm bored. Let's go see exactly what makes this Serpent's Pass so dangerous." Kyudo's offer was more than enough to get the squad moving.

Needless to say they were more than disappointed to see that the Serpent's Pass was nothing more than a slender path along the cliff side. Their boring journey was cut short when they saw that the path stopped in the middle due to the slope dipping into the water below. They breathed a collective sigh before turning around and began to walk back. A slight ripple in the water caught their attention just before they started to walk.

Then another ripple.

And another.

And another.

"RRAAAAAHH!" A blue sea serpent pierced the surface of water and sent water splashing along the cliffs. Its beady red eyes stared at the four of them and in no time Jee, Kyudo, and Janan sent a volley of arrows, fireballs, and knives at the creature. Chey stood motionless though and when he saw the squad attack, he turned on them as opposed to the serpent. "Stand down, it wasn't going to attack us." Seeing as how they weren't listening Chey decided to deal with the main source of the attacks, Jee. So Chey tackled his leader around his middle and the two men fell on the rocky path. "Sorry sir, you'll just have to trust me." He jumped up and shoved Kyudo and Janan to the ground. The shove knocked Chey slightly off balance and he tripped over a crack in the ground and went tumbling down the cliff. The creature still hadn't attacked the squad at this point. Chey landed hard on a ledge about ten feet above the water's surface.

The serpent swam slowly over to Chey and rose to its full height to gaze upon Chey. He was quite hurt from the fall, but he was too proud to be defeated by any sea creature. To everyone's surprise, the creature just looked at Chey, bowed its head, and dove back to the watery depths.

His three comrades lowered Chey some rope and he climbed back up to his squad's position.

"How the hell did you know the thing was friendly Chey?" Kyudo was the first voice everyone's question.

"Oh, well just the way he was looking at us I guess. Plus I knew we couldn't take him so I figured being submissive would have been a better alternative."

The other squad members shrugged and they set off for the camp once more. They arrived shortly before the warships' porting and they helped the ships dock. Once the disembarkation began the squad set off for Ba Sing Se.

* * *

_Month 5, Late-Spring 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return…_

After the squad's first mission success, General Iroh had Piandao and Lu Ten join them. For the last year and three months the six of them enjoyed many victories on the battlefield and they had forced all of the Earth Kingdom troops back to the city.

Even with all the army's attention on the wall, it still stood just as strong as the first day of the siege. The casualties were mounting and the men were beginning to grow tired. Morale was dropping more and more each day the wall still stood.

Chey had been working tirelessly with Lu Ten trying to come up with an explosive force powerful enough to destroy the outer wall. The trebuchets assault had made minimal progress and it was clear they needed to use other tactics.

They couldn't get close enough plant any explosives directly on the wall since the Earth Kingdom troops would waste no time in killing them.

Chey finally struck gold, or so he thought, with his latest plan. General Iroh supported his idea with some reluctance due to the dangerous nature. Nevertheless, Chey's plan went into action at dawn the next day.

The trebuchets were armed with giant smoke bombs that were jerry rigged together by Chey the night before. The plan called for the trebuchets to rain down the bombs while a lone soldier, Chey, guided their fastest komodo rhinos tugging a wagon full of barrels containing blasting jelly. The explosion would destroy the base of the wall and then the weight would hopefully cause the rest of it to collapse. It would be a small hole, but it would have to work.

The plan needed to go flawlessly in order to work. Unfortunately, there were many factors working against them. The smoke bombs weren't lethal, but if they struck the wagon it would explode. They had only enough smoke bombs to last a short time and Chey would have to guide the wagon perfectly. Then there was even a chance that the Earth Kingdom soldiers would spot Chey when he got closer.

Several people attempted to talk Chey out of it, but he would have none of it. The signal was raised and the first smoke bombs struck the battlefield. Chey whipped the komodo dragons and they sprinted into action. He entered the smoke and was moving completely on feel at this point. Most of the bombs hit well in front of him, but after one particularly close bomb, he whipped the komodo dragons to move even faster. A bomb hit no more than ten feet to the wagons left and the komodo dragons split in opposite directions in surprise. Chey was unable to wrangle them and the rope reins detached from the wagon.

Chey was now stranded with the wagon and no force to pull it. The wall was still over two hundred feet away and the smoke was starting to dissipate. The wind suddenly picked up as well, Chey's plan was crumbling right before him.

Inspiration struck him at the exact right moment though. He realized the rest of the way was a slight downward slope and the wind was blowing towards the wall. He just needed to get the wagon going and then gravity would take care of the rest. He knew the wagon was much to heavy so he began to work on building a make shift sail out of the broken wagon cover. Chey built it in no time at all and secured it to the wagon.

He prayed quickly to Agni and hopped onto the back of the wagon, hoping for one more big gust.

Apparently Agni was listening to him as a powerful wind filled the sail and the wagon began moving. Chey brought out a torch and quickly lit it just before the wheels began rolling. The torch would be used to ignite the blasting jelly since he could no longer set up a fuse.

The sounds of the trebuchets firing ceased and Chey emerged from the smoke cover with over one hundred feet still left. Earthbenders began hurling boulders at him from atop the wall, but it was too late, he already had gained enough speed.

Chey threw the torch in the middle of the wagon and jumped off the back, dodging several boulders before he was able to find some cover.

From his hiding post, Chey watched as the wagon crashed into the wall. The sail broke and the wheels all fell off. It stayed for a few more moments and Chey thought he had failed.

That was before the wagon exploded and shook the entire ground violently. Chey smiled as he saw the explosion cut clear through the wall. The cracks began to spread and the weight became too much and a hundred foot gap split into the wall.

Victory cheers were heard all the way from Chey's shelter and he watched as a sea of Fire Nation soldiers charged for the entrance to the former impenetrable city.

Chey arrived back at camp as admiration rained down upon him. Janan greeted him with a tackling hug and the rest of the squad piled in around him. He had secured victory for the Fire Nation.

* * *

_Month 8, Late-Summer 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return…_

After Chey's plan was a success and the Fire Nation secured a foothold inside the agrarian zone the squad thought they would be heading back out to sea. However, the Fire Nation troops had made no further advances and once again men were losing morale.

Chey's plan would not work a second time on the inner wall either. The Fire Nation didn't have a camp set up inside the zone so they had nowhere to move the trebuchets and the trebuchets couldn't be fired over such a long distance. Plus the Earth Kingdom army was heavily entrenched and were not giving any ground.

Lu Ten formulated a plan that was more crazy than Chey's, but it would end the battle. So they set it into motion. The squad took the armor of five Earth Kingdom soldiers and disguised themselves. They were then going to be taking Janan as "prisoner" and attempt to infiltrate the city. Once inside they would find the Earth King and force an unconditional surrender.

The plan sounded easy, but there so many complexities that even the always brave Janan was skeptical about it.

They gathered what supplies they needed and went to the front lines. Once there Chey threw out several smoke bombs to cover their trail as they snuck across into Earth Kingdom territory. The men, all disguised as Earth Kingdom, grabbed Janan by the arms and took her to what they thought was a superior officer.

Jee stepped forward to address the Earth Kingdom officer, "Excuse me sir." The man turned to face them. This was the moment of truth, if they were discovered they would be killed.

"Yes, what is it trooper?"

"My squad captured this Fire Nation soldier out on the battlefield and we wanted to take her to processing."

The officer stepped towards Janan to admire their find, "My, my quite exotic aren't we?" His comments were met with a snarl from Janan. "Very well, good work. Give her over to the two guards posted near the inner wall and then return here."

"Actually sir, would it be alright if we escorted her to the city? We believe she is quite dangerous and holds valuable information."

"I see. Well then, be on your way men. Dismissed."

The squad fumbled its way through the Earth Kingdom salute before beginning the trek to the inner wall. The Earth Kingdom camp was about half a mile from the wall and the squad walked in tense silence through the farmlands.

Chey, who was holding Janan's arms, noticed her breathing was getting heavier. He put what he thought was comforting hand on her shoulder and she looked up in gratitude at him.

They approached the guard checkpoint and once more Jee stepped foward, "Just here to escort this prisoner to the city."

The guards were obviously bored with their duties and created an entrance in the wall without so much as second glance at the squad.

The entrance sealed behind them and the entire squad gasped at the site before them. A teeming city sprawled out for miles and miles, it was nothing like the reports said.

An Earth Kingdom soldier signaled them over, "I understand you have a prisoner for us. There is a carriage waiting for you around the corner. Remember, no deviations from the path, we don't want to raise anyone's suspicions. If anyone asks, you are transporting a thief to the prison. Once your done, report back to your superior officer for orders."

Jee nodded in acknowledgement and they went around the corner to find a carriage with a metal holding cell. They placed Janan in the cage and Piandao took the reins of the ostrich-horse.

Once they were out of site of the Earth Kingdom soldier they took a sharp turn down a dark alley. They let Janan out and they got rid of their Earth Kingdom armor and the carriage. Janan quickly hit the markets to steal them some suitable clothing and they all changed to better blend in. They were praying that nobody was smart enough to recognize them.

Once they all changed Lu Ten brought up the next phase of their plan, "Ok men, good job so far. But we are far from done with this mission. The next step is to find a place to stay an lay low for a while."

"Isn't the point of this mission to end the battle quickly?" Kyudo interjected.

"Yes, it is, but we can't do that until we know what we are up against. Currently, we are in the lower ring. The palace is in the upper ring. I suspect about a month's worth of scouting will provide us all the information we need. Understood?"

They all nodded and exited the dark alley. It was about dusk and they got their first real taste of the city. There were shady looking characters everywhere, poor begging for money, and out of the corner of Chey's eyes, he swore he saw some shadowy figure watching the whole scene from the rooftops.

The squad stumbled upon a rundown abandoned building and jumped at the first chance to get off the streets. Once inside everyone blew a collective sigh of relief before the weight of the situation hit them all at once.

They were in Ba Sing Se.

They had no communication to the army.

The entire battle hinged on their success or failure.

And they were completely and utterly alone.

* * *

AN: OK, so that was fun, right? A whole heck of a lot happening in this chapter with not a lot of time to talk about it because I promised someone this chapter would be up today (no matter how late). So please point out any mistakes I made because I will be doing some speed editing.

Alrighty, first things first. This story's rating has been changed from M to T. The reason behind this is because I am taking someone's advice so we will see how that goes. Plus I don't think I have been too graphic or vulgar.

I'm sure you are all eager to know what is in that scroll that Jeong Jeong gave Chey. Well unfortunately for you guys that won't revealed for quite a while. So let's hear some theories on that.

And yes, Jee's son was introduced and I know one person who will be very excited about this. Also, don't worry, we'll be hearing more about him in the future.

Ok so the Siege of Ba Sing Se officially began and I gotta say, I love the way it has turned out so far. Especially now that Piandao is back. I know that I am skipping around years and months very quickly at times and I do wish I could go more in depth, but ultimately I want this story to catch up with the present time because that is when things start to get really interesting.

Anywhos, that is it for now. Next chapter we will be seeing how the squad adapts to life inside Ba Sing Se and how well their mission goes. Thank you guys so much for reading/reviewing and please enjoy.

P.S. I highly recommend you guys use the map of the Avatar world on Avatar Wiki in case you are confused about what locations I'm talking about. I'm using that map to help create this story.


	5. Tales of a Hostile City

AN: Let me start off by saying that for the next few chapters I will be changing the way I state the date. The reason for this is because I wanted to go really in depth for the squad's time in Ba Sing Se.

* * *

_Day 1in Ba Sing Se, Month 8, Late-Summer 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return…_

The squad had been quite disappointed upon finding out that the abandoned home they had found was no more than a one bedroom shanty. They were forced to sleep on the hard dirt floor with neither a pillow or blanket for comfort.

They all awoke slightly before dawn, either from discomfort or the paranoia of being in an enemy stronghold.

"Ok, if we are staying here for a while, we have got to find a better place to live," Kyudo said groggily while working the kinks out of his neck.

Their newly assumed leader for this mission, Lu Ten, spoke up, "You're right Kyudo, but we can't just break in and steal a place. The soldiers will surely take notice and then the whole mission is a failure. We are going to have to actually rent a house."

"How exactly are we going to do that? Using my good looks?" Janan sarcastically replied.

"No, we will have to get jobs." Lu Ten said somberly.

It was Jee this time who spoke against the plan, "You're crazy! We stick out like sore thumbs, there is no way someone will hire us when they know we are Fire Nation."

"Not exactly Jee. Piandao, Chey, and Kyudo are all dark enough to pass off as Fire Nation colonists. You could just claim you weren't loyal to the Fire Nation and escaped to Ba Sing Se. Janan, you, and I are much lighter skinned so we will have a harder time blending in, but I suspect it won't be too big of a deal in the Lower Ring. This entire place is just one big mixing pot and nobody is paying enough attention to notice something as insignificant as eye color or skin tone. Now then, any other complaints with the plan?" The squad murmured slightly trying to come up with another objection, but couldn't formulate a solid enough reason to go against the plan. "Good, let's all go out there and get some jobs. Meet back here at sunset. Oh and one more thing, leave all your weapons here, they'll attract too much attention." A load groan was heard from every member's mouth.

They all stood to depart and several complaints of "not wanting to work with these lowlifes" were heard, but they all followed Lu Ten out the door and into the city. They slowly began to split off into pairs as they passed through more and more areas. First Piandao and Jee went off, then Chey and Kyudo, until finally it was just Janan and Lu Ten.

* * *

"Honestly Piandao, I don't see how you have so much respect for that kid Lu Ten." An irritated Jee said while maneuvering his way through the throngs of people.

Piandao chuckled lightly at his companions frustration, "Jee, you still have much to learn. I thought I told you the last time we talked that you should never underestimate anyone. He just turned twenty-one this spring and he is well on his way on his path to becoming future Fire Lord."

"Sorry, you're right. I just can't help but question a plan that has us walking into enemy territory blind."

"Not so loud!" Piandao hissed.

"Sorry... again. Um listen Master, I was wondering if you think that I'm ready for the Test?"

"Ah yes, I have talked at great lengths with General Iroh about you. And I can assure you that at the conclusion of this mission you will be given the Test. But for now, we have an important assignment for you. Keep an eye on Chey, he has been acting differently since I last saw him."

"Well didn't ya hear? Jeong Jeong deserted, he was like a father to Chey. Poor kid must be taking it so hard. Imagine someone so close to you deserting their homeland just like that."

"Yes, it is hard to imagine..." Piandao trailed off as he began looking up to the sky, before eventually coming back to earth, "Anyway, let's focus on getting some jobs. I think this tea place up ahead looks promising."

Piandao led the pair into a teashop by the name of Pao Family Tea House. Inside was a lone man sweeping the floors and humming a sad tune. He looked up upon hearing the door open, "Oh hello gentlemen, I am Pao. What can I do for you?"

Piandao, being the more diplomatic of the two, stepped forward, "Hello, we were here to inquire about some jobs?"

"Oh... well I would love to, but unfortunately my business isn't making enough to support two more employees."

Piandao had a look around the busted up teashop before turning back to the man, "We're not looking for much pay. How about this, we will work for little to no pay for a few weeks and help spruce the place up and attract more customers. Then once business picks up you can start paying us then."

Pao's eyes lit up at the offer, "Oh my, of course, of course. You have no idea how hard it has been since my wife and family left me. It's supposed to be 'Pao Family Tea House' but how can I have that with no family? Oh I never have this good of luck..."

Jee put up a hand to silence Pao's ramblings, "Alright we get it. We'll be back tomorrow at opening."

Pao bowed respectfully and the two walked off back into the city.

* * *

Kyudo and Chey were walking down what they considered to be the main road of the Lower Ring. Of course it was hard to tell because no matter which way they turned there were masses of people everywhere.

To say the two were miserable would be an understatement. Kyudo was yearning for his bow and anytime someone bumped into him or gave him a nasty look, he would reach back only to be reminded of his missing companion. Chey had done the calculations in his head three times how much blasting jelly it would take to wipe out this many people in the street.

They finally found some refuge in a shaded shop with only a few customers in it. Much to the delight of Kyudo and the dismay of Chey, they had stumbled upon a music shop. That's not to say that Chey did not enjoy music, because he did, but once Kyudo found a musical instrument he would not rest until he learned to play it. When they were younger Kyudo once spent an entire summer mastering the Tsungi Horn and, according to Chey, there is nothing worse than listening to an untrained Tsungi Horn player.

Kyudo immediately struck up a conversation with the owner of the shop, "Hello sir, I was wondering if you had job positions open for me and my friend here?"

Chey stepped in immediately, "Actually no job for me. I think I'll look somewhere else."

The old shop owner looked delighted to have someone work for him, "Of course young man, can you start right now?"

Kyudo enthusiastically nodded his head and two began discussing the various instruments throughout the shop.

Chey left the two music enthusiasts and set off once more in the search for a job.

* * *

Janan and Lu Ten were in completely different frames of mind in regards to moving about this hostile city.

Janan was practically dancing down the down street while Lu Ten angrily muttered to himself about the sweltering heat and all the dust in the air.

"What makes you so happy?" Lu Ten asked, hoping she had some advice on how to turn this nightmare into a dream.

"Freedom." She said simply.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, it's a little hard to explain to someone like you who's royalty, but I never got to explore big cities like this. I've been a soldier for so long that I forget what it's like to not have someone telling you what to do or how to act."

"Trust me, as royalty, I know what that feels like. Most of my life I've spent in the palace and I never really got to explore outside of the Caldera. That's why I joined the army when I was so young, I couldn't wait to go out and see the world, especially with my dad."

"Hmm, that's actually pretty cool, my dad was an asshole. But your dad does seem to know what he is doing, I'm sure he'll make a great Fire Lord."

"Thanks. Agni, it is miserable down here. What do you say we sneak our way into the Upper Ring?"

"Now there's a suggestion, I'll go wrangle us up some clothes." Just like that Janan was gone in a flash. She raced through the streets until finally finding a store that would fit her needs. The clothes inside were nice, but not so nice that they were being heavily guarded. She struck up a conversation with the shop owner and smuggled a green dress for her and a black suit for Lu Ten while the shop owner was occupied with trying to find something Janan asked for. Janan left and was back at Lu Ten's side in a heartbeat.

They changed in an alley and headed to the wall separating the Lower and Middle Ring. Lu Ten was all set to walk right up to the guard outpost, but Janan grabbed his arm before he got too far, "Haven't you been paying any attention? Everyone who has gone to the Middle Ring so far as had some kind of pass, they don't let you by just on fancy clothes themselves."

"Alright, so I guess this was pointless then. We aren't going to sneak in there, that will draw way too much attention."

"You're right, we won't be sneaking in, but we are getting to the Upper Ring." She pointed to a carriage coming down the road. "That looks like it belongs to some sort of nobleman. I'll get a ride with him and then you sneak on the back of it."

"And just how are you going to get a ride from them?"

"My feminine charm." She said with a playful wink.

Janan ran up to the carriage and the royal guard stopped when she was in front of them, "What do you want?"

She used the most seductive voice she could think of to respond, "My friend is inside this carriage, I just wanted to hitch a ride with him."

The guard looked skeptical but nonetheless knocked on the wood carriage behind him, "You got someone who wants to see you."

Janan took a quick second to fix her dress to show off her breasts more "prominently" before a large balding man wearing bright yellow and green robes opened the carriage door, "Who are ya?"

Janan swallowed her pride at the sight of the hideous man, "The woman who wants to make your day."

"Oh-ho-oh, I see. What can I do for such a beautiful young girl like yourself?"

Janan did her best fake giggle, "Ooh, well I was just wondering if you were a nobleman because I find men in power sooo attractive."

The man nearly drooled before answering, "Well, I just so happen to be noble so why don't you hop on in here and I could... show you what it's like?"

She nearly gagged but managed to keep her composure. She leaned in close to whisper into his ear, with her hand not so subtly hanging over his crotch. "What do you say we head up to your place so you can show me what it's like to live like a noble?"

"Oh absolutely." He scrambled out of the way to make room for Janan who hopped in behind him.

Meanwhile, Lu Ten found a much easier time to get into the Upper Ring. He noticed that the carriage driver had gone off to the side of the street and was talking to two men in matching dark green robes.

Lu Ten ran up to the guard driver in a fake state of panic, "Guard, there's be an incident in the next district down. Someone is robbing a store."

The guard looked at the two men and nodded before the three of them all took off down the street. While the guard moved past Lu Ten, the firebender stealthily grabbed the pass to the Upper Ring from the man's pocket.

He assumed the position of the driver and took the carriage all the way to the Upper Ring, the entire time listening to Janan trying to politely fight off the man's groping.

They finally arrived in the Upper Ring and the man finally thought Janan had no more excuses to fight off his advances, "Well girly, we're here. Ready to head to my house so we can get more intimate?"

Janan took a deep breath in preparation for her final flirtatious lines, "Of course I am. But first, close your eyes. I want to surprise you with something."

The man quickly shut his eyes and smiled wickedly in anticipation. Janan certainly surprised him when she used the handle of a dagger she was concealing to knock him over the head. He fell over unceremoniously unconscious. Janan was quite surprised when she opened the door of the carriage to see a smiling Lu Ten.

"Have fun, Janan?"

"Loads." She shivered at the memories then went up to the ostrich-horse pulling the carriage. She gave it a good smack and the beast took off sprinting through the nicely paved roads. "So, you were our driver that whole time?"

"Sure was, plus I even got us a pass to come up here whenever we want. Now, let's find us some jobs."

The two wandered about the much less crowded roads of the Upper Ring and finally happened upon a building with wooded torches lining the walkway. The sign said that it was the 5-7-5 Society. Lu Ten insisted on going in, but Janan decided to sit outside and wait.

Inside was group of about fifteen formally dressed women with one of them standing on a stage. She was the one to address Lu Ten,

"What is it you want

You probably came to taunt

So please do not flaunt."

Lu Ten was quick to catch on in most cases and this was no exception,

"I have come to find

A place with more grace and poise

In which I may work."

The girls in the audience all cheered on the newcomer's haiku. The girl on stage hushed them once more,

"I will grant you work

Only if you can keep code

5-7-5 rule."

Lu Ten was quick with another response,

"Structure I can keep

But do tell me what it is

That you clearly need."

She smiled at his ability,

"A man to keep out

All of those who can't keep up

With our rules and game."

Lu Ten decided to quit while he was ahead and just bow before exiting the building. He came back to Janan no more than five minutes later, "Well, I got a job."

"Really?"

"Yeah, as a guard. I have to go back, I think they wanted me to start now." He started back to the building scratching his head in confusion leaving Janan to wander by herself.

Rather than continued to be leered at by every man in the Upper Ring, she decided to head back to the Lower Ring where she blended in better.

* * *

Chey was wandering about the marketplace trying to find some place that he could work for. Eventually he decided it was not in the cards today and stole a loaf of bread to snack on. As he was trying to navigate through the crowds of people the loaf of bread was suddenly stolen right from his hands.

He stared at his hand in amazement before regaining his bearings, "Stop, thief!" The irony of the words failed to hit him as he ran in the direction he thought the bread bandit went.

* * *

"Stop, thief!" Janan heard Chey's voice yell out from the other side of the market place then watched as a little girl with a loaf of bread ran out of the mob and down the street. Chey emerged a few seconds later chasing the girl down.

It took a few moments for everything to register before Janan ran off after Chey. The girl was fast and nimble and managed to keep a fair distance between her and Chey before she made the mistake of turning down a dead end.

She turned and put up her hands in a fighting stance. Chey regarded her quite curiously, "I'm not gonna fight you, just give up the bread and then I'll leave you alone."

"NO!" She then charged at Chey swinging her arms wildly. He placed a hand on her head to stop her advance and she started to punch at the air, desperately trying to hit him.

"Come on, what if I said please?"

"NO!" She yelled and punched with even more aggression.

Janan rounded the corner to see the sight of Chey holding off a little girl, "Chey, what are you doing?" Janan got closer to get a good look at the girl. She was no older than ten, had messy brown hair tied in a ponytail, and a well-worn dress that was a size too small for her.

Chey looked back at the intruder to his confrontation, "Huh, oh Janan. Well you see I had this bread and this little girl took it from me so I'm just trying to get it back."

Janan leaned down to get an even better look at the young girl and upon closer inspection Janan saw the girl had very hollow cheekbones and was extremely skinny, clear evidence that she was struggling to get by. She smiled sweetly at the young girl who in turn hugged the loaf of bread closer to her chest, "Looks to me like she is the one who has the bread. So tell me Chey, do you have to scoop so low that you have to pick on little girls for food?" The playful question left the girl giggling and Chey in fits.

"What? No, of course not. I mean... I um."

Janan leaned in to whisper to Chey, "Let it go, the kid is starving."

He reluctantly nodded at her, "Alright kid, the bread is all yours." The little girl's eyes lit up in admiration and she ran back the way she came, but not before turning at the entrance of the alley to stare bright eyed at Janan. Janan waved at the girl who quickly scurried off back to the marketplace.

Janan looked quite pleased with herself while Chey crossed his arms and glared down at her grumpily. She lightly slapped him across the arms, "Don't be such a baby. Come on we can go get some more food somewhere else."

After an unsuccessful food trip they both discovered that neither one had secured a job and changed that to their primary focus. Dusk was rapidly approaching and they just decided to head in for the night.

However on the way back they stumbled upon a blacksmith. Both Janan and Chey fell instantly in love with the shop and managed to convince the owner to let them work there with an impressive display of some their skills.

The two returned to the rundown building slightly after dark and a few minutes after everyone else had already arrived.

Piandao looked quite happy to see them, "Ah good, everyone is here. Hopefully everyone was successful in finding jobs because I found a house that I rented for the rest of the month."

The announcement was met with great energy from the squad who was happy to be moving on from their horrid one room house.

The new house was about half a mile away right by the market Chey and Janan were just in. The house was pretty well furnished considering it was in the Lower Ring and each squad member got their own bedroom.

They went to bed that night on actual mattresses and for the first time, were not nervous about the mission.

* * *

_Day 7 in Ba Sing Se, Month 8, Late-Summer 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return…_

The first week in Ba Sing Se went by rather smoothly for the squad. They were enjoying living in the new house and were actually starting to grow accustomed to some of the Earth Kingdom culture.

Lu Ten saw this happening and told them to remain vigilant throughout, but the warning fell on deaf ears. The squad had seen very little military force in the city and were confident that they could complete their mission easily. Their confidence was shot, however, after one fateful day at the music shop.

Kyudo quite enjoyed his time at work. His boss, Hyo, was quite pleasant to be around even if he was from the Earth Kingdom. Hyo was extremely knowledgeable in all things music and often shared this knowledge with Kyudo.

Kyudo was leaning back in a chair whistling happily as he tuned a liuqin. It was a rather slow day at the shop and he was using this time as an opportunity to get closer to his goal of learning how to play every instrument in the store.

The trampling of feet outside made him slip up in tuning and he looked up to see the cause of the distraction.

Several civilians were running past the shop, trampling anything or anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way.

"Hey Hyo, I'm going to go check out what's going on down there, ok?"

The old man just grunted and waved him away. Kyudo sprinted after the crowd who had formed into a circle around a nearby plaza. There was a young woman in the middle of the circle surrounded by four men in dark green robes wearing conical metal hats.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" The woman exclaimed frantically.

One of the men spoke in an unnervingly calm voice, "You know the laws of Ba Sing Se. There is no war in Ba Sing Se."

"I wasn't talking about the war! I swear!" She began looking around pleadingly to the blank faces in the crowd.

"What did she do?" Kyudo whispered to the man next to him.

He turned back to Kyudo, "She was talking openly about the war. You must be new to the city. You'll be arrested if you do."

"Who are those men?"

"The Dai Li. They are the secret police force of Ba Sing Se."

"What are they going to do with her?"

"Just wait and see."

Kyudo turned his attention back to the plaza where the Dai Li were moving in on the woman. One of them grabbed her by the shoulders while another put her hands behind her back. Her hands were secured with the rock gloves that the Dai Li wore.

Two of the Dai Li took her by the arms and led her through the crowd in the direction of the Upper Ring. The two other agents were left attempting to disperse the mob. Kyudo thought better then to stick around and went back to work.

Janan and Chey were on the other side of the crowd and where Kyudo had thought better, Janan didn't. She shoved her to the front of the crowd, much to the chagrin of Chey. She finally reached the front just before the two Dai Li agents began to walk away, "Hey, you two. What the hell are you doing with that girl?"

The agent from before turned to address her, "Excuse me? I suggest you restrain yourself before we are forced to take action."

"I would love to see you try. And what are you talking about? Of course there is a war, the entire world is at war."

The agent's eyes narrowed on her and quick as flash he fired his earth gloves at Janan. Chey was quicker though and he pulled her out of the way. The earth gloves smacked into the ground and exploded into dust.

Chey and Janan took off in a sprint pushing and shoving their way through the mob of people with the two Dai Li agents hot on their tails.

Another set of rock gloves went sailing over their heads as they ran down the street. Janan grabbed Chey by the arm and took him down a secluded path through a local park. The Dai Li agents were quick and managed to stay with the two Fire Nation soldiers easily.

They split off from the path and headed towards the wall. Chey and Janan hopped the fence in no time and were back on the streets. The street split off into a series of alleyways and they chose the left most one. After a sharp turn the alley ended in a dead end. They attempted to scale the walls, but there were no footholds and they slipped back to the ground. The sound of approaching footsteps grew closer and they readied themselves for a fight.

_"TAP, TAP, TAP." _The sound of a rock tapping against the stone ground brought their attention to the building to their left. At the base of the building was a small open window and in that open window was the little girl from their first day in Ba Sing Se. She waved her hand at them and Chey and Janan dove through the window after her, moments before the Dai Li agents rounded the corner.

The girl put a finger to her lips as a sign to keep quiet and then led them through the dark basement of the building. The three of them took the stairs all the way up to the roof. The roof was the highest in the area and allowed them to see all around the Lower Ring.

"Thanks little girl. How'd you find us?" Janan asked sweetly. When the little girl remained silent Janan moved on, "Um what's your name?"

The girl didn't stick around after that and disappeared back through the building. Janan made a move to go after her, but Chey held her back and shook his head no. "Let her go, she is just shy, but she'll come around."

"But, I just want to help her. I mean she's just so cute and I don't think she has a family."

"Janan, slow down. I know you really want to help her, but it's probably for the best. You have to remember we won't be here for long. Hell, we are going to be occupying this city soon anyway, I don't think that little girl will appreciate you so much when soldiers are marching down the streets."

"Yeah, I guess.." She stared off at the setting sun after trailing off very sadly. Suddenly, she collapsed to the floor, clutching her knees and sobbing violently.

Chey was shocked, he had never seen Janan cry before, much less display any sign of sadness. He recovered from his state of shock and kneeled next to Janan and put an arm around her shoulders. "Janan, what's wrong?"

She looked up with glistening eyes, "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure Janan, what's up?"

Janan wiped her eyes, "It can't be repeated to anyone, ok?" Chey nodded. "Alright, here goes. I've told anyone this before and it's something I struggle to admit to myself. I never wanted to be in the Fire Nation army."

Chey struck a quizzical look, "Well then, why are you in it? It's not required I mean."

"You don't understand, I didn't have a choice. Zhao has something on me that keeps me in the army."

Chey's eyebrows narrowed in anger, "Zhao. What does he have on you? I swear I'll help you out of it."

"No Chey. Trust me, you don't want to get involved in this. I just hope that maybe one day I can leave this life behind and settle down in a quiet city. Maybe I could have a kid like that little girl. I'm just so tired of fighting, so so tired..."

"It's ok Janan. I promise it'll get better. I know it will. Now come on, let's go home."

He began to stand, but Janan held him down, "Please, can we just stay here for a while?"

He sat back down and put his arm back around her shoulder, "Sure Janan."

* * *

_Day 10 in Ba Sing Se, Month 8, Late-Summer 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return…_

The news of the Dai Li and the near capture of Chey and Janan did not sit over well with the squad. They were on edge for the next few days, taking back streets and staying in the shadows to avoid any sort of attention.

The paranoia of an impending attack was beginning to wear them down, none of them had slept well since and they were all exhausted. Janan in particular was not herself, she just moped through the day without saying as much as one word to anyone.

Lu Ten hoped to brighten up everyone's moods by planning their first scouting mission of the Upper Ring. The squad reluctantly agreed, mostly due to their fear of the Dai Li.

They left slightly before midnight, Piandao and Jee chose to stay behind to catch up on sleep. At this time of night it was not allowed to cross between rings so they would have to sneak over the wall.

Kyudo led them to the Grand Crystals Park, the largest and nicest location in the Lower Ring. Once there they climbed one of the trees hugging the separating wall and entered the Middle Ring.

The Middle Ring was filled with only a few Dai Li agents and their patrols were rather predictable. The squad jumped rooftop to rooftop and was in the Upper Ring in a matter of fifteen minutes.

They were in the housing district and the palace was still over half a mile away. Besides a few security guards, the housing district was easy to get through. The rest of the Upper Ring was proving much more difficult to traverse.

The entire ring was composed of very little buildings that were spread across a large area. There was very little cover and the Dai Li seemed to be everywhere.

The squad was currently hiding in a bush at the edge of the housing district trying to figure out how to get to the palace. Lu Ten gathered them close and whispered, "Guys follow me. I know a place we can get through."

He led them to the 5-7-5 Society in the business district and used his keys to get them inside. They took a ladder up to the roof and from there were able to hop across several roofs until they were finally in view of the palace.

Unfortunately for the four of them, the palace was surrounded by one hundred feet of flat ground on any side. Which meant there was no way they could sneak any closer. Lu Ten began diagramming the palace in his notes while the other three stared up at the night sky.

Lu Ten ducked his head just as six Dai Li agents walked by their hiding place. They appeared to be escorting a young woman and Kyudo gasped when he saw her, "That's the woman from the other day."

The four of them peered over the edge to listen to the developing conversation below.

The agent in front turned to address the woman, "We are going to have you stationed in the train stations in the Lower Ring." He spoke in the same flat tone as the other agent. "Escort anyone who asks for your assistance. If anyone breaks the three basic laws, then report them to us. You'll be staying in a communal home with your other sisters. The Earth King would like to thank you for your services, Joo Dee."

The woman spoke in a monotonous creepy voice, completely unlike her tone from before, "I am honored that the Earth King has blessed me with gratitude."

* * *

AN: Welp, there it is. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. As you can tell, this chapter is much different than any other chapter so far. I really enjoyed writing this one. Now then, I really need your feedback on this chapter. If you liked how in depth this one was then tell me and I'd be more than willing to do this for the rest of the story.

Ok, now I need to talk about a few things in this chapter. First off, Piandao and Jee are seen talking about some sort of test. Gee, I wonder what that could be about? They also share Iroh's sense of tea-loving.

Kyudo got a job in a music shop, which is something he'll enjoy no matter where he is.

Now onto your favorite part and mine, Lu Ten's job. I am soooo sorry I had to subject you guys to my crappy haikus. I have checked each one about five times and at this point I am just praying each one followed the 5-7-5 format.

I didn't go to in depth on Janan and Chey's blacksmithing jobs, but don't worry I will be next chapter. Janan has fallen head over heels in love with the cute little girl who lives nearby. This is an area of Janan that I really haven't explored. She may seem to be an all tough warrior with no weaknesses, but everyone has a soft spot. Hers just so happens to be that she wants to start a family. Also, we have learned that she never wanted to be in the army. We'll see how that turns out in the upcoming chapters. One more thing on Janan, she confided in Chey since he is her only true friend.

Finally, the ever mysterious Dai Li have appeared and the squad has gotten a firsthand experience of some of their practices.

Next chapter, we will be wrapping up the squad's time in Ba Sing Se. Until then, please enjoy. And yes, this chapter is completely based on the Avatar episode Tales of Ba Sing Se, it even has most of the locations from that episode.


	6. The Crown Prince and the Mother

AN: Really quick before you start reading, I suggest you look up the Avatar comic The Search part 1 on Avatar Wiki. The way that Ikem and Ursa are drawn when they are younger (the first couple pages in the comic) perfectly resemble what I think that Kyudo and Janan would look like. Ikem being Kyudo and Ursa being Janan. I suggest this because I know people like to picture stories in their head and now that you know what those two look like, it should help you. Anyway, please enjoy.

* * *

Kyudo, Chey, Lu Ten, and Janan did not stick around long after the Dai Li vacated from the street below. They didn't speak until they reached the Lower Ring, and often glanced over their shoulders nervously. Once in their district they stopped to catch their breaths in Grand Crystals Park. A wind rustled the tree tops and the squad shivered, but not because of the cold.

"What did he mean when he said the three basic laws?" Janan whispered meekly.

Lu Ten assumed leadership once more and spoke in a serious tone, "I don't know, but we are going to find out right now."

He led them to the Lower Ring's "political offices." The name of it was a joke at how poor the conditions were. The only government building had been long since abandoned and the only way to find out news now was by the quickly rotting wood bulletin board. It didn't take long for them to find what they were looking for, considering it was the only thing on the board. Carved deeply and crudely with a knife were the three laws:

"1. There is no war in Ba Sing Se.

2. The Dai Li are protectors of our culture.

3. The walls guide us through life."

Several curse words and graffiti marks were spread across the board, but once they got the message, the squad returned home. They woke up Piandao and Jee to inform them of their findings.

"Hmm, this is most troubling. It would appear as if the Dai Li will be a massive thorn in our sides." Piandao calmly stated.

"What do you make of those three law things?" A still frantic Kyudo asked.

"Well it's obvious that they are keeping the war under wraps. The Dai Li are the eyes and ears of this city and I have very little doubt that they are already profiling us." Everyone else in the room gulped while Piandao just chuckled at the predicament. "Calm down, as long as we obey the laws we'll be fine. They might be smart, but we are smarter. Now everyone go to sleep and let's put this behind us."

The squad was put somewhat at ease by their oldest member's talk and were able to enter sleep without much worry clouding their thoughts.

* * *

_Day 13 in Ba Sing Se, Month 8, Late-Summer 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return..._

Janan had yet to recover from her break down on the rooftop and Chey was beginning to worry. He considered her as one of his closest friends and he hated seeing her so down. Especially considering how she was normally always upbeat and full of energy. Now she just went to work with him, did her work, and went home to sit in her room.

At this point, Chey realized she would not be cheering up on her own and it was up to him to do it for her. They both shared today off and were the only two at the apartment. Chey had been pacing back and forth all morning trying to figure out how to approach Janan about this, normally she was so secretive about her emotions, excluding the day on the roof.

He pushed down his nerves and went to her room.

_"Knock. Knock." _His fist made a resounding thud that he was sure she would hear.

"Yes?" Janan weakly squeaked out.

"May I come in." Chey said much more as a statement than a question.

"Sure. I guess."

He turned the metal doorknob and the door slowly creaked open. Chey peered around the room and saw no sign of Janan, that is until he checked the bed and saw a severely out of place lump. He sat on the bed and poked her body which cause her to peek out. "So Janan, I was wondering if you would like to go somewhere today?"

"What? You mean like a recon mission?"

"No, no, no. Forget the mission, let's just go do something fun."

"Something... fun?"

"Yeah come on, are you just gonna mope in your bed all day?"

"I'm not moping. And yes I was."

"Janan, please. I want to do something and it won't be as much fun without you."

She rolled her eyes, "Fine if it really means that much to you. Let's go."

Chey hopped up with glee and exited the room to go get ready. Five minutes later he lead them out of the house with a basket in his hand.

"Alright, tell me where we are going?" A clearly annoyed Janan asked.

"That would take the fun out of it." Chey responded with a smile. Truth be told, he had very little experience with cheering girls up. That being said, he did read quite a few books in his spare time and from what he gathered, girls like picnics. This line of thought had him plan a nice picnic at Grand Crystals Park, which they were quickly approaching.

Janan, always quick to figure out any situation, saw where this was going, "You're taking me on a picnic. Not exactly screaming fun."

"Just give it a shot. It's better than sitting in a dark room all day."

"Not by much."

He ignored her snippy comment and began laying out a blanket to sit on. Chey spent a long time finding ingredients to conjure up an authentic Fire Nation dish and he thought he got it perfectly, even if he did need to substitute some things.

Janan was a sucker for food and once she caught one whiff of the aroma escaping the basket, she was sitting down in an instant, awaiting her food. Chey gladly served her a plate, which he called spicy cow-pig. Komodo dragon wasn't exactly easy to come by in an enemy capital city. He served himself a plate as well and before he could take one bite, Chey noticed the smell had caught not only Janan's attention.

The little girl that seemed to be constantly popping up, was peering at them very conspicuously from behind a tree no more than ten feet away. Chey waved her over and she came sprinting out from her hiding place, much to the delight of Janan.

"Oh there is my little sweetie!" Janan exclaimed before engulfing the girl in a hug.

"Sweetie?" Chey asked curiously, but Janan shook her head to drop it.

Chey was well prepared for guests and served the little girl a plate. The girl looked at the food presented to her, grabbed it, looked between Janan and Chey, and then sat down on the blanket, unlike the previous two encounters which she ran away from.

"Thank you." She spoke barely audibly, but Chey did catch it.

They ate silently, each of the three enjoying the meal. The little girl was struggling to use her utensils and Janan slid next to her and showed her how to use them. At the end of the meal, Chey cleaned up and the three of them sat against the tree for shade. Janan on one side, Chey on the other, and the little girl leaning against Chey. At first he was quite surprised by the contact, but quickly settled down.

"Well Chey, I hate to admit it, but you were right. I did enjoy this quite a bit." Janan spoke breaking the silence. "This reminds me a little bit about when I was a kid, my mom always used to sneak me out of the house and we would go out to the park and play for hours. Of course my dad was furious when we got back, but it was worth it every time."

Chey spoke up once it was clear she was through, "That sounds really nice Janan."

She turned to him, tears threatening to escape her eyes, and embraced Chey, much to the dismay of the now napping little girl, "Thank you, Chey."

They stayed embracing for a while before the little girl pushed their arms apart and stood up. Janan was quickly to her feet as well, "Sweetie, you don't have to go. Come back and live with me and Chey. It'll be fine, I promise."

Chey couldn't believe what he was hearing, but decided to stay quiet.

The little girl looked between them once more. Then she quickly ran up and hugged Chey, then Janan's leg, and ran in the direction of the park's exit. Janan sighed and Chey thought now would be a good time to head home.

He put a comforting arm around Janan's shoulder and led her back home.

* * *

_Day 17 in Ba Sing Se, Month 8, Late-Summer 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return..._

If Lu Ten had to describe one word for his job, it would be boring. Aside from throwing out a few drunks every so often who thought they were quite good at haikus, all he had to do was sit around listening to a bunch of poetry which all sounded the same to him at this point. Today was shaping up to be like any other day until a man walked in wearing the very familiar dark green robes.

Unlike the rest of the Dai Li, he was not wearing a metal conical hat. He was bald except for the back of his head which led into a long braid. He also had a split mustache and goatee. The man instantly walked over to Lu Ten upon his entrance, which made the firebender gulp nervously.

"Hello young man, are you the security around here?" The man spoke in a regal tone and the question caught Lu Ten off guard.

"Why yes I am. If you wish to talk we must go outside, the women hate non-haiku speech." Lu Ten surprised himself with how well he conducted himself.

The man nodded in understanding and the two walked outside where the man spoke once more, "I am Long Feng, head of the Dai Li. His majesty has become quite interested in poetry and would like to attend one of the poetry sessions here. Later tonight, if possible."

"Of course. We would love to have the Earth King attend. I'll just have to double check with the head poet."

"Nonsense. We do not want word to spread that the king will be in attendance. Just know that there will be Dai Li agents providing some extra security tonight. I shall be here as well."

"Yes sir." Lu Ten bowed and Long Feng set off in the direction of the palace. Lu Ten spent the rest of the afternoon planning exactly what he was going to do tonight. Obviously taking the king hostage by himself was a no go, but he couldn't waste the opportunity by doing nothing. So he resolved the situation by planning to scope out the Dai Li security patterns and getting a good look at the Earth King. After all, his dad always told him, "Know your enemy. Know what he looks like, how he smells, how he speaks. Know him as well as you know yourself."

Time passed and Lu Ten realized the Earth King was approaching when he heard the rhythmic footsteps of the Dai Li. By his count, there were at least twenty one men.

Long Feng entered the building first flanked by a palanquin carried by four servants. Lu Ten had no doubt the carriage held the king, which meant there sixteen Dai Li agents lurking around outside. He had to admit he was surprised when no other agents entered.

The carriage was set down and Lu Ten was disappointed to see the king was hidden from view by four curtains. He couldn't even enact the other part of his plan because Long Feng walked over and stood next to him, leaving no chance to scope out the Dai Li.

He sat through an entire night of poetry until finally they were through and preparations began to move the king back to the palace. Long Feng nodded to Lu Ten and exited the building right after the king's carriage. He growled out in frustration and set off after them.

Lu Ten took off onto the rooftops and watched the scene from above. There had to be some sort of weakness to the Dai Li.

And that's where he noticed it. They hadn't heard him at all, they could be weak from an attack from behind. this information could prove to be rather useful.

* * *

_Day 20 in Ba Sing Se, Month 8, Late-Summer 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return..._

Janan had cheered up considerably in the days following the picnic with Chey. While the others began focusing more on taking down Ba Sing Se, she was much more concerned with another issue.

So she decided to leave work early one day and deal with this issue. Janan quickly set off for the tall building the little girl led her and Chey through. Upon arrival, she ran up the stairs and burst out onto the roof, she found exactly who she was looking for.

The little girl flung herself into Janan's outstretched arms. Janan lifted the girl high into the air and spun her around once before putting her down. "Sweetie follow me, ok?"

The girl nodded and the two set off, hand in hand. Janan led them to the only map of the Lower Ring she knew of.

"Sweetie, do you know how to use this map?" The girl nodded, "Alright good, point to your favorite place in the whole Lower Ring."

The little girl apparently thought about this before and pointed to an area a few city blocks away. "I like it there." She said rather excitedly.

Janan studied where she was pointing, "Alright, when the time comes, I am going to tell you to meet me there, ok?" The little girl looked at Janan with confusion. "I know this is confusing, but it'll all make sense soon. Now then, let's go get something to eat."

The girl's eyes lit up at the mention of food and the two went back into the heart of the city.

* * *

_Day 25 in Ba Sing Se, Month 8, Late-Summer 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return..._

Lu Ten sat in the tea shop awaiting Piandao to go on break. Every day he had off he would travel to see Jee and Piandao and drink some of his favorite tea. Jee was out on deliveries this morning so it would just be him and Piandao.

The old sword master came out of the back room and joined Lu Ten, "Hello, Lu Ten. Tell me, how are you doing today?"

Lu Ten smiled at his father's friend, "Greetings Piandao, I would say I am doing quite well today. I saw an artist and had a self portrait done." He produced a piece of parchment from his knapsack and showed Piandao the picture, "I'm going to give it to my father as a present for our victory here."

"I'm sure he will love it, but don't you think you might be counting our victory a little early?"

"Nonsense Piandao, I have finally figured out a way into the palace. Once inside nothing can go wrong."

"Have you learned nothing from your father, boy? Never lower your guard, for that is when the enemy shall strike."

"You're right, Master Piandao. I am just so excited, the war will soon be over and for once I can just relax with my father."

"Don't worry, we will all be home soon. Now tell me, what is this plan of yours?"

"I'll explain it later tonight, but for now, I have something I wish to ask of you. Whenever it is we return home, I want you to teach my cousin Zuko swordsmanship."

Piandao struck a quizzical look, "Are you sure? Nobody in the Royal Family has ever learned the arts, it is considered beneath the direct descendants of Agni."

"I am quite sure, Zuko could use the boost in confidence. I noticed that he has struggled with bending and he could use a distraction. I don't think his father shall approve, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"If you insist Lu Ten, although I would rather not directly disobey a member of the Royal Family."

"You worry too much Piandao, relax and let's explore some new tea flavors."

* * *

_Day 30 in Ba Sing Se, Month 8, Late-Summer 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return..._

Janan was patiently waiting for her latest masterpiece at the blacksmith. It was Kyudo who had approached her with the idea and now the two were waiting for the metal to cool.

Kyudo had wanted a bow that was made with blades in the place of wood. Initially she scoffed at the idea, but upon thinking of the usefulness of such a weapon she instantly jumped at the opportunity.

They patiently sat in the dimly lit blacksmith, Janan tidying up and Kyudo sitting on the dirt floor.

"So Janan, I have always been curious, what is that dragon sword of yours like?" Kyudo asked quietly.

Janan took a seat next to him and pulled the sword off her back to examine it, "It's amazing! I have been trying to replicate it this entire time, but I have never been able to achieve the amazing balance and weight of this sword. Plus there is something weird that always happens in the summer. That gem in the dragon's mouth has lit up on one day for every summer since I got the thing. I still don't know what to make of it though."

"That is quite strange. Of course, that entire library trip was quite strange. I found this piece of string on a harp in there. It can't be cut or broken and is extremely elastic. What's better is the force it packs even when you just pull it back a little."

"Wow, sounds like the perfect string for one of your bows."

"Yeah, I thought of that too, but I have other plans for that string..." He trailed off mysteriously.

Janan regarded his tone curiously and decided to change the subject, "So Chey never told me and I have always wondered, how long have you known each other?"

"Ever since we were babies, hell we were even born on the same day. I can't remember a time that we weren't together."

"That's good to hear." She got up to see that the bow had cooled and hardened. She walked across the room and grabbed a leather strap and began wrapping it around the middle of the bow to serve as a handle. Once finished she handed the bow to Kyudo who inspected it with a critical eye. "So Kyudo, can I ask you a favor?"

"After producing this beauty, anything!"

"I don't know how else to put this, so I'll just come out and say it. I don't think that we are all going to come back from this mission and if I don't, I want you to make sure Chey doesn't do anything stupid."

"Janan don't talk like that, also what do you mean stupid?"

"Just keep him on the right track. Now I have to go, meet you later at the house." Janan quickly exited the blacksmith, leaving behind a very confused Kyudo.

* * *

_Day 34 in Ba Sing Se, Month 9, Beginning of Autumn 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return..._

The squad sat awaiting for dusk on the day before the final attack on the palace. After over a month of waiting, they would finally get to see some action tonight. They would be splitting into three teams: Jee with Piandao, Kyudo with Chey, and finally Lu Ten with Janan.

The plan was fairly simple tonight: there would be six Dai Li agents patrolling the Lower Ring and the squad would kill them and steal their uniforms. They hoped that by the time the rest of the Dai Li figured out those six were missing, the squad would already have the Earth King in custody.

Jee and Piandao took the two patrolling closest to their apartment, claiming that "the old get first choice."

The two set up on a rooftop they knew the Dai Li agents would be passing under and began the waiting phase of the plan. No more than five minutes later, the familiar footsteps filled the air. They passed underneath the building and just like Lu Ten reported, they did not watch their backs.

Jee and Piandao jumped down right behind the two agents who only have enough time to turn before they were finished. Jee warmed his hands and began strangling the man while Piandao slit the other's throat. The kills were clean so as to not allow any blood on the uniforms. The Fire Nation men grabbed the bodies and disappeared down a dark alley.

Kyudo and Chey's targets were across town patrolling the marketplace. They made it round the perimeter every 3 and a half minutes according to Lu Ten.

"Let me take these guys Chey, you're bombs aren't exactly stealthy." Kyudo whispered and Chey just shrugged in response.

The archer, with his new sword bow as he like to call it, began moving in to intercept the Dai Li agents. He waited behind a food stall as the earthbenders passed by. Poking his head around the stall, he readied an arrow and leveled it at one of the an agent's head. The arrow pierced through the air and struck the agent just below his metal hat.

He fell to the ground in a heap and the other agent spun fired an earth glove blindly at Kyudo's hiding spot. Kyudo ducked underneath the blast and jumped up at the agent. Using the bow as a charging weapon, he slammed into the man, who put his hands in self defense. It was a battle of strengths as Kyudo tried pushing the blade into the man's throat while the agent tried to push Kyudo off.

With one of his earth gloves missing, the bow began to cut into the agent's hand. The pain grew too much and his strength gave out, Kyudo took advantage quickly and pushed the blade into the man's throat, ending his life. Chey and Kyudo rounded up the bodies and ran back to the house.

Lu Ten and Janan had decided to make it a race to their two targets. Lu Ten decided that taking the direct approach would be the fastest so he stuck to the streets, while Janan had taken to the rooftops.

The two agents saw Lu Ten charging them at a full sprint with fire in his eyes. They dropped into defensive positions just as Lu Ten's hands lit with flames. Just as Lu Ten was within striking distance, a dark figure dropped from the sky and struck down the two Dai Li agents.

Janan smiled up at the disappointed face of Lu Ten and the two quickly gathered the bodies and fled the scene. The first part of the plan was over, the end of the war was in sight.

* * *

_Day 35 in Ba Sing Se, Month 9, Beginning of Autumn 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return..._

The plan was fairly simple: dress up as the Dai Li, march into the palace, find the Earth King, and take him hostage and force an unconditional surrender. The metal conical hats hid their faces well enough and Janan wore extra layers to appear more man-like as well as some cloth covering her face. Unfortunately for the non-benders of the squad, they couldn't conceal larger weapons, so Kyudo had to leave behind his bow. In its place, he carried two small daggers concealed in the green robes.

It was an hour before dusk and the squad lined up in three rows similarly to how they saw multiple Dai Li agents line up. They marched clear through both the Middle and Lower Rings without so much as second glance.

Finally in view of the palace, they took a moment to calm their nerves and began the walk into the most heavily guarded stronghold of the Earth Kingdom.

Strangely, there were no guards posted at the bridge over the outer canal, nor were there any at the base of the palace stairs. The squad's ascent up the stairs was exhausting, but they refused to show it in fear someone may see them break formation. However, the fear was unwarranted, for there were still no sign of the guards when they reached the entrance plaza.

Feeling wary, the squad broke formation and began checking behind every pillar for any sort of defense. Finding none, they reentered formation and walked through the entrance to the palace.

As if it wasn't strange enough there were no guards outside, the lack of anyone inside the palace was even more disturbing. They expected the entire premise to be crawling with politicians and earthbenders alike, but there was not a soul to be found.

They knew the plan was overly simple, but they had no idea the actual mission would go so smoothly. The squad found what they believed to be the throne room after five minutes of wandering around the palace.

Kyudo and Lu Ten pushed the giant ornate doors apart and the six entered the throne room. The room was dimly lit with a figure sitting in a large throne at the far end.

"Greetings. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the Earth King is not in." The room lit up as several torches were lit all at once, revealing Long Feng sitting in the throne as well as forty Dai Li agents hanging from the ceiling. "I am quite surprised to see the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation this far in the Earth Kingdom though. Tell me Lu Ten, does your father miss you?"

The squad entered a defensive circle and prepared to fight to the bitter end. "Guys, run." Lu Ten whispered to them.

Piandao glared at him, "Nonsense Prince Lu Ten, we are not leaving you."

"That is an order, Piandao. Now escape alive, I will hold them off."

"Prince-"

"LEAVE!"

The squad, sans Lu Ten, slowly backed out of the throne room. They took one last tearful look at the young firebender and ran from the scene.

The Dai Li made to follow, but Long Feng's order stopped them, "Let them leave, I am more interested in the Crown Prince. They will remind the Fire Nation that Ba Sing Se is nothing to be trifled with. Now then Prince Lu Ten, where were we..."

* * *

The squad ran as fast as adrenaline would carry them, through the Palace and Upper Ring, before finally taking a break in the Middle Ring.

Their momentary halt in running did not last long though, for twenty Dai Li agents came barreling down the street towards them.

"Split up!" Jee's voice rang through the air. Kyudo, Jee, Piandao all continued down the street while Chey and Janan scaled the nearest buildings.

They hopped rooftop to rooftop until they finally seemed to have lost the Dai Li. Janan and Chey ditched the Dai Li uniforms in favor of better blending in with the crowd. However, it was well past sunset and the streets were mostly deserted.

Hoping to avoid extra attention, the two stuck to dark back alleys until they were in the Lower Ring, which was still bustling with people even at this time of night.

"Come on Chey, follow me." Janan said calmly before taking him to a fountain well lit by various torches.

"What is this place?" Chey asked in wonder.

"Firelight Fountain, it is beautiful isn't it?"

"Well yes, but why are we here? We should be running Janan, Lu Ten is probably dead and we won't be far behind if we waste any more time." He started to jog away, but Janan caught his arm before he could get too far.

"Wait Chey..." She began sadly. "I'm not going with you."

He spun towards her in bewilderment, "What do you mean, you're not going with me? This isn't a choice Janan, they will kill you if you stay."

"No, they won't. I've kept a low profile for a while and I made sure I'm not in the Dai Li records."

"So what, you're just going to abandon the Fire Nation then? They'll come looking for you, they won't rest until you are dead. I'm not letting you throw away your life like Jeong Jeong did."

She shook her head, "Don't you get it? Jeong Jeong deserted because it was what he believed was right, just like I'm trying to do. Besides, I won't be deserting the Fire Nation at all."

"What do you mean, not deserting?"

"Allow me to explain. I never would have joined the army if not for Zhao. One day he came to my village and asked me to join the army, but I had no interest so I told him no way. That's when he told me he had my mother hostage and he would kill her if I wouldn't join. At first I didn't believe him, but then we went back to his ship and I saw her. She was a shell of her former self, beaten and starved for years. He kept me in the army with constant threats that if I deserted he would kill my mother. But now, I finally have a chance to leave the army and my old life behind me."

"That's crazy Janan, he'll just kill her once he figures out you deserted."

"Not if someone tells the Fire Nation that I died in Ba Sing Se."

"But who is going to do..." The realization slowly hit Chey. "No Janan! You can't ask me to do that, we just lost Lu Ten and I'm not about to lie to the Fire Nation."

"Please Chey, it's my only chance to escape."

He began to grow hysterical, "No, but... if you're staying then so am I."

"You can't Chey." Her eyes began to tear. "You have your own path, I have mine. Now please, go back to the Fire Nation."

He opened his mouth to object again, but a pair of lips crashed into his before he could make a sound. They exchanged a short and passionate kiss that meant so much more than words. Janan took hold of Chey's hands and looked up into his eyes.

"I love you, Chey. Now please, just go. I'll be fine, I have an ally in this city after all." The little girl from before came running down the street and collided into Janan, who enveloped the girl in a hug. They both smiled up at Chey who could no longer hold back his tears. "We'll be fine together Chey, now close your eyes, I want to give you something." He did as he was told and she produced her famed dragon sword and put it in Chey's hands. He stared at it in amazement and looked at Janan questioningly, who in turn nodded telling him to keep it.

"Goodbye Janan, I will always love you too." He ran from the fountain as fast as legs could go, his sadness was slowly being replaced with anger. Anger at Zhao, Chey vowed to take revenge on that man. Zhao would pay for what he did to Janan, he would pay with his life.

Chey approached the squad's rendezvous point and Kyudo ran up to him to show that he had recovered his sword bow. Chey shook his head and the archer stopped dead in his tracks. The squad escaped the city, their heads hung low and their spirits broken.

* * *

"I admire you Lu Ten. It takes quite a man to sacrifice his life like you have done for your men."

Lu Ten smirked, "Who said I'll be sacrificing my life?"

"I'll beat that insolence out of you boy." Long Feng rose from the throne and Lu Ten readied himself.

Lu Ten shot his fingers forward and an arc of lightning went racing towards the head of the Dai Li. Long Feng ducked under the lightning which struck the throne chair and shattered it to bits. He fired two boulders at Lu Ten which were expertly dodged by the Crown Prince.

Lu Ten attacked with ferocity, one fire blast after another. Long Feng was losing ground quickly before the flames finally overtook him. He tripped over a stray rock and Lu Ten had a boot on his chest in no time at all.

Lu Ten decided to get in a few last words before finishing off Long Feng, "I'm a little disappointed Long Feng, I hoped that the pride of the Earth Kingdom would put up more of a-"

A swift rock glove to his face ended Lu Ten's speech prematurely. He hardly had time to wipe the blood gushing from his nose before a rock pillar crashed into his chest.

Long Feng was quick to his feet and fired shot after shot at Lu Ten's chest. He felt at least three ribs crack before finally toppling over. Earth shackles trapped his feet and hands, but it didn't matter, there was no more fight in the young man.

Long Feng stood over him, "It's over Lu Ten. You lost."

He stayed indignant even in defeat, "You're pathetic Long Feng, you couldn't even beat me without the help of your men. I may die tonight, but at least my honor will remain intact."

"I'll be sure to tell your father that while he is begging for his life."

"You son of a-" Lu Ten's world turned dark as the boulder crashed into his chest. The Crown Prince was dead and the mission, a failure.

* * *

AN: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm sorry, but Lu Ten had to go. It is crucial to both the show's plot and this story's. It does suck because I do quite enjoy him as a character.

You may have noticed that this chapter was focused entirely on Janan and Lu Ten. This was done because this chapter was supposed to serve as a goodbye to those two characters. Who knows whether we will see Janan later on (Well I know, but I'm not telling). These two were truly two of my favorite and I will definitely miss having them around.

So there are a few things I want to address. Long Feng realized Lu Ten was Fire Nation as soon as he saw him in the haiku club. That is why the entire mission was doomed from the start, Long Feng was two steps ahead of the squad.

The other big thing I wanted to talk about was Chey and Janan's relationship. Poor Chey, even when he gets what he wanted (Janan's love) he can't hold on to it. But Chey is such a nice guy that of course he would lie to the Fire Nation for Janan. Also, she gave her sword to him, which means a lot to her.

Finally, we got to see what exactly Janan's big secret is. Zhao holding her mother hostage has been the only thing keeping Janan in the army and at the first chance to bolt, she took it. I do want to say her feelings towards Chey are genuine, she did not just use him to get what she wants. Also, she gets what she really wanted, a life that doesn't revolve around the war and a daughter.

Anyway, I have spent quite a few days trying to get this chapter how I wanted, so if you guys could leave me some feedback that be awesome. Next chapter we get to see the aftermath of the squad's failure. Until then, thank you guys.


	7. The Final Arrow

AN: This chapter goes back to the old way of telling time, with no days recorded, only months and years. Also didn't have time to edit so point out any mistakes you find. I'll fix later.

* * *

The squad managed to reach the outer wall leading to the Agrarian Zone easily enough, having ran into no more Dai Li along the way. Piandao's patience was running thin and he rushed the two guards guarding the exit point.

Slicing right into one of them was enough motivation for the other to open the gate and stand down. The guard waited until they were beneath the wall and prepared to crush them, but Kyudo's arrow put an end to that plan.

The fighting in the Agrarian Zone had ceased for the day so the squad was faced with the prospect of sneaking through an Earth Kingdom camp brimming with soldiers. Once the group got closer though, they soon realized that the soldiers, those who were awake, were drunk beyond belief.

They probably could have walked through the camp and been fine, but decided to be safe and sneak behind the camp. Once safely around the camp, the sight before them paled in comparison to anything they had ever seen before.

Thousands of bodies lay slain across the battlefield, both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. The amount of casualties seemed to have doubled in just over a month. Instead of digging graves, the soldiers had settled for just creating huge piles of bodies strewn across the vast plains. Carefully crossing the scene, being careful not to step on any of the corpse out of respect, they reached the Fire Nation base camp just after dawn broke.

Movement began to occur all around the camp, but the four of them were all frozen still outside of General Iroh's tent.

"Someone has to tell him." Jee voiced the thought they all shared.

"Let me, I know him best." Piandao said before stepping forward and parting the flap of the General's tent. The Dragon of the West had just finished putting on his armor and smiled up at the sword master when he heard him enter. "Hello, General Iroh, old friend."

Iroh embraced his friend quickly, "Piandao, I presume that your mission was quite successful?"

Piandao slowly shook his head, "I'm afraid not sir, and that's not the worst of what happened."

Iroh raised an eyebrow, "Oh, do tell. I'm sure that the damage done is nor irreversible. We have had numerous successes on the frontlines since your departure."

"Please General sit down, the news I have will not be easy to hear." Iroh did as he was told and took a seat at his desk. "The city of Ba Sing Se was quite well fortified, but not by soldiers. The secret police force known as the Dai Li was two steps ahead of us. Their leader, Long Feng, saw right through us and crushed our plan. I underestimated them and... it will prove to be a decision I will forever regret." Piandao began to tear up, "General Iroh, Janan she... didn't make it."

Iroh's face fell, "Oh my, the poor girl. I can't believe this has happened. Tell me, did she go out fighting?"

"I'm not sure, Chey was the last to see her, but I'm sure she went out swinging."

This brought a slight smile to Iroh's face, "She will forever be in my prayers, Janan was one incredible woman. Please tell me that is the end of your sad news?"

"I wish I could tell you no, but unfortunately this piece of news is even more devastating than the last. Iroh, my friend, I must tell you something that no friend ever wishes to say to another... your son Lu Ten... sacrificed himself so we could survive the mission."

In that moment, Piandao could swear he heard Iroh's heart break, the man seemed to instantly age twenty years. He kept his composure just long enough to direct Piandao, "Please.. leave me. Tell the generals... we are going home."

Piandao took a moment to put the portrait of Lu Ten on Iroh's desk before turning around and leaving the grieving man. The squad looked at him questioningly, "I told him, he is heartbroken. He said that we are retreating as well."

Kyudo was the first to protest, "What? That's crazy, we are so close to-" Chey silenced him by grabbing his arm and shaking his head.

"That's not all," Piandao continued, "I have decided to desert the Fire Nation. I have seen too many lives lost in my service, and most of them have been due to our own nation's stubbornness."

Jee spoke up this time in protest, "You can't! They'll find you and kill you."

"Let them try, and if they succeed, then so be it. I deserve to be killed for the hundreds of men that I have sent to meet their destruction. I invite any of you to join me at my castle in the town of Shu Jing." The squad remained silent, "Very well, I understand. Still I hope you may remain quiet about this, I'm sure it will get out soon, but I do hope to gain some sort of a head start on the Fire Nation." They all nodded their heads in agreement.

Jee spoke once more, "I for one will be following our great General wherever he may go, in hopes of learning more from him."

Piandao walked over and put a hand on Jee's shoulder and slipped what appeared to be a tile into his hand, "Very well done my friend. You have passed the test, I am sure that Iroh will fill you in more later." Kyudo and Chey both looked at each other confused before Piandao turned to face them again, "I shall depart tonight, but first, let us drink to our fallen comrades."

* * *

_The next day..._

Thousands of Fire Nation soldiers fled the battle over the Agrarian Zone, not stopping until they were safely aboard the Fire Nation ships nearly a continent away. General Iroh had ordered a full retreat and the exhausted men were more than happy to oblige the order.

And so the 600 day siege of Ba Sing Se came to an end, not with Fire Nation soldiers proudly marching towards the Earth Kingdom capital, but with thousands of lives lost and one broken man.

* * *

_Month 12, Beginning of Winter 95 ASC: Four years prior to the Avatar's return..._

True to both of their words, Jee travelled with the devastated Iroh back to the Fire Nation capital and Piandao deserted the Fire Nation. Of course, the squad, if you could call two people a squad, knew he was still within Fire Nation borders.

As if losing a son wasn't hard enough for Iroh, he also lost a father when Fire Lord Azulon passed shortly after the failed siege. The Dragon of the West also lost the throne to his brother, Ozai, but according to one of Jee's letters, Iroh hadn't even fought to keep the position.

One of the first decrees of the new Fire Lord was to punish those most responsible for the failure at Ba Sing Se. Iroh had immunity as part of the Royal Family and Piandao was still being hunted, so that left Chey, Kyudo, and Jee to suffer the brunt of Ozai's wrath.

Jee was officially stripped of his honor, while Kyudo and Chey were put in charge of the now heavily outdated ship, the _Elegant Dragon_. Chey was the captain and Kyudo was his lieutenant, however their ranks held no power outside their ship full of the misfits of the Fire Nation Navy.

The two do nothing more than supply runs and simple errands for the Fire Nation, never being allowed to see combat again. Amongst the crew stood out two men, Roky and Sovann, the former being Jee's son and the latter being a cocky, yet effective, self proclaimed swords master.

Roky, much like his father, has short spiky brown hair, but he lacked the sideburns. He was nearly twenty years old and would not be in the navy if not for Ozai's new mandatory draft. He spent most of the day complaining how he hated the Fire Nation, which didn't fly on any other ship so he was sent to Chey. When he actually wanted to, he was quite the firebender. Of course, those times were few and far between.

Although, he was quite good with swords the eighteen year old Sovann was much too arrogant for his own good, which promptly led him to being sent to Chey. He had long black hair that was tied in a top knot at the crown of his head. He lacked facial hair, but was quite tall, towering over everyone on board. Often times he would challenge Chey to sword duels, which Chey readily accepted. Each one ended with Sovann being knocked to the floor just as fast as the last duel. He lacked the patience to learn from his mistakes.

The ship was sailing towards the Fire Nation's oldest colony, Yu Dao. Apparently, two Fire Nation ships had yet to report from the most recent supply run and the fleet commander was worried that the ships' men had gotten distracted in Yu Dao, as was often the case with supply ships sent to the colony. So the _Elegant Dragon_, once a proud warship serving under a great admiral, was now carrying a group of ragtag soldiers nobody wanted to make sure that some suppliers weren't goofing off.

Chey sighed in frustration as the view of the colony became visible. He hadn't seen action in over three months and the duels with Sovann no longer satisfied his appetite for fighting. That being said, he had accomplished his childhood dream. He was now the captain of a ship and his best friend was right there beside him.

It just wasn't as glamorous as he had hoped. Every night it seemed he had a nightmare of Janan being killed in Ba Sing Se and the worst part was, he had no way of communicating with her. Also, being the captain of a ship full of dead beats wasn't exactly thrilling.

The shore was getting closer and closer and Chey told the helmsman to prepare for docking. Chey then slipped out to the balcony where Kyudo was staring out at the sea.

The archer turned when he heard footsteps, "Something's not right Chey, where are the Fire Nation supply ships? They should be docked, but they aren't here. And if they aren't here then we should have passed them on the way here."

Chey lighlty chuckled, "You worry too much Kyudo. I'm sure they just got set off track by some storm or something. Now all we have to do is dock, send a message to the fleet master, and then we get two days to enjoy ourselves in Yu Dao"

"Yeah, I guess-"

_CREEEEK_

The ship slammed to a stop sending both men nearly toppling over the edge of the railing. Once the ship settled, the crew began to pour out on to the deck.

"STATUS REPORT!" Chey bellowed out to the men.

"The ship is on... ice?" One man called back to him.

Kyudo put a finger to his chin in thought. "Ice? How in the world did ice surround the ship?"

_CRAASSH_

A tidal wave come crushing down on the deck of the ship and five of the crew were washed overboard.

"ATTACK!" A clear order was heard from beneath the ship and grappling hooks began attaching themselves to the ship's railing. Climbing those ropes came at least three dozen men wearing the distinct colors of the Water Tribe.

"Helmsman, grab a weapon and follow us, we will need you." Chey called over his shoulder as Kyudo and him rushed through the hatch leading to the deck. There were a total of forty men serving on the ship, but most of them were inexperienced in fighting and didn't stand a chance. Chey just hoped that Kyudo and him could make up for their lack of experience.

The two emerged from the tower to the sight of the Fire Nation sailors being absolutely demolished by the Water Tribe men. There were maybe fifteen Fire Nation fighters left while at least two dozen, including three water benders, remained for the Water Tribe.

Two men charged at Kyudo with swords raised high and he barely had enough time to raise his bow to block the swings. Their combined strength was enough to tackle Kyudo to the ground and they fell to the ground. Chey unsheathed his wrist blades and ran over to his friend. He stabbed the two unsuspecting men in the back of the throat and threw their lifeless bodies off of Kyudo. Chey then extended a hand and helped the archer to his feet.

Kyudo immediately realized that he could turn the battle around by killing the three waterbenders, so he readied an arrow to accomplish this task. The benders were set up at the bow of the ship and were able to wash away anyone who got too close to their position. However, they were not prepared for a ranged attack and three arrows later, all three fell.

Chey came to the realization early on in his training with Janan that the one area that him being left handed most helped in, was sword fighting. Most opponents were not prepared for someone to use a sword in their opposite hand, and these soldiers were no exception. Feeling bold, he took on two soldiers at once.

Chey always allowed his opponent to take the first strike and the man on his left gladly obliged by taking a big overhand swipe at Chey. Chey expertly dodged the blow and delivered a swift stab right through the man's chest, who fell to the deck dead. The second man took advantage of this and again charged at Chey with an overhand strike. This time, Chey blocked the strike, but tripped over the body of his first victim. The other man jumped on Chey and attempted to force Chey's blade to cut his own throat.

All the years serving in the navy did Chey's strength well, as he was able to hold off the man with his left arm and stab the man's throat using his wrist blade on his right arm. He rolled the corpse off of himself and stood up to see that his men now outnumbered the Water Tribe men.

One Water Tribe warrior wielding an axe ditched the fight and ran straight into the underbelly of the ship. Chey instantly realized he would try to sabotage the ship and ran after the man.

The man's footsteps were drowned out by the ongoing battle above him, so Chey ran blindly through the ship's corridors.

_WHISH_

Chey barely had time to duck underneath the axe of the man who had lay waiting around a corner for Chey. The man was quite skilled and managed to stay on the offensive against Chey. However, Chey knew what he was doing and quickly kicked the man's knee, which buckled. The man kneeled slightly in pain and a swift jab to the face disarmed him. Chey then grabbed him by the throat and put his blade against the man's chest.

"Which tribe are you from?" Chey said through gritted teeth.

The man glared at Chey and replied with much anger, "Northern."

"You people are supposed to keep to yourself."

"Yeah, well some of us don't like what you Fire Nation scum is doing to the world, so we came down here and sunk two of your ships."

"Well then, you are about to meet the same fate as those men aboard the ships."

Chey raised his sword and prepared to stirke, awaiting momentarily for the pleading, which did come, but not how Chey expected, "No please, I have a son who needs me. You spare me and I'll help you out."

Chey loosened his grip on the man's throat slightly, "You better start talking now."

"Alright first off, name is Koan and I'm the chief's main advisor. You let me go and I'll tell him send no more troops."

"You think we are scared of your troops?"

"Hey, I wasn't finished. I also know we aren't the only ones causing trouble for the colony. There is also someone out there who keeps killing any Fire Nation soldiers who step foot into the forest around the colony."

Chey loosened his grip and dropped the man, "That's good enough to keep you alive. I'm Captain Chey, by the way."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Captain, I wish it was under more pleasant circumstances. I do appreciate what you are doing immensely."

"I've seen enough fathers be separated from their sons, if I can stop it, I will. I'm going to pretend to take you prisoner, then I'll secretly release you and you can be on your way. Try anything stupid, you'll get killed. Understood?"

Koan nodded his head and Chey bound his hand with some rope. They walked through the maze of hallways and were only a few feet away from the steps leading up to the deck before Soann came rushing down them.

"Water Tribe scum!? He shouted before taking his sword and impaling the man through his abdomen.

Chey realized what was happening too late and his tackle of Soann could not save the man, "SOANN! He was a prisoner, we do not execute prisoners!"

"Whatever, Captain. It's our first action ever and I'm not going to waste it. Plus who's going to miss him?" Soann boastfully replied before dusting himself off and running back to the deck.

Chey ignored the insubordination and knelt down to the dying man in front of him. "Koan? Are you still alive?"

Koan opened his eyes and spoke hoarsely, "Yees... please Chey, find my son and tell him what happened."

Chey realized Koan was probably delusional, but he was not about to break a dying man's last request, "Yes Koan, I promise. I will go to the Northern Water Tribe and I'll find your son."

Koan smiled slightly before his eyes shut one last time from this world.

* * *

Melting the ice off the ship took three hours, they had lost all but Roky and one other firebender and were forced to break out the pickaxes to help out.

The unscheduled stop gave Chey plenty of time to reprimand Sovann for killing the prisoner. Chey told him that he was to not leave the ship and that Roky would be in charge in the meantime. Sovann took this horribly of course, but Chey was firm in his stance.

Once they arrived at Yu Dao's port, Chey, Kyudo, and Roky all departed from the ship and headed down the marketplace.

"Roky, I want you to explain what happened on the ship's deck after I went into the underbelly?" Chey asked the firebender.

"Well, to put it lightly, Sovann went absolutely insane. He killed everyone in sight, including two of the prisoners we captured."

"I see. Well then, you need to watch him like a hawk. I'm trusting you."

"Understood sir." With that, Roky set off back for the ship.

Kyudo turned his attention to Chey, "The kid did quite well Chey, he is just like his father. Now tell me, why exactly are we walking through Yu Dao? I know you aren't here to buy supplies."

Chey smiled at his friend, "You know me too well Kyudo. Apparently, there has been someone killing all the Fire Nation soldiers who travel into the forest outside the village."

"Just what I like to here." Kyudo said with a smile and the two began walking towards the forest. "Hey Chey, did you ever think that we would end up like this? On a disgraced ship with a bunch of no-goods?"

Chey sighed, "Honestly, sometimes I wished that I had left with Piandao. The Fire Nation has caused us nothing but grief ever since we enlisted. It is getting harder everyday to pretend that I care about the war."

"I know what you mean, this is the first action I have seen in god knows how long and I can't even enjoy it since we have to return to being errand boys."

The conversation drifted off until the two reached the edge of the forest. "So how are we supposed to find this guy, scream out that we Fire Nation?" Kyudo asked jokingly.

"I'm not sure..." Chey answered while peering off into the forest.

The two set off through the trees trying to spot any signs left by the Fire Nation assassin. Chey suddenly realized he was walking alone. "Kyu-oooh." Chey started before having the air knocked out of him by Kyudo tackling him. "What the hell was that for?"

Kyudo put a finger to his lips and pointed to a tree three feet away. An arrow was now piercing out of the bark, Chey nodded his head in understanding and drew his sword, Kyudo drew his bow.

Facing an archer would be tough, particularly one they hadn't seen yet. Chey decided to test this archer's abilities. He sprinted to a tree he spotted ten feet away that was in the direction the arrow came from. Chey reached the tree unscathed and saw an arrow sticking from the ground about halfway between this hiding spot and the last. Upon closer inspection however, Chey realized the arrow had gotten close to cut the sleeve of his shirt. "Alright, he's good." Chey whispered to himself.

Kyudo had climbed to a low branch of in the time Chey had gotten the archer's attention. He whispered back to his friend, "Chey, hundred feet. Give or take."

"You sure? There is no way he could hit a moving target from that far."

"I've never been wrong before, which means that he is quite the archer. Toss me some smoke bombs, I have an idea."

Chey reached into his bomb bag and tossed Kyudo two smoke bombs, "I would love to hear this idea of yours."

"Just get close to him, I'll finish him off."

Chey was about to point out the holes in Kyudo's plan, but before he could the archer began leaping off in another direction across the branches. He threw three smoke bombs randomly across the ground, then took off for another tree fifteen feet away. The smoke confused the archer and not a single arrow was fired in Chey's direction.

Checking the supplies he saw that he had two smoke bombs and five explosive bombs left. The bigger problem currently was the flat plain separating him and the next set of trees. There was a small creek blocking his path to the left and a small hill to the right, the plain was his only option.

He devised a plan that he prayed to Agni would work. Chey threw out two explosives into the field and just as he planned, they left two decently sized craters behind. He calmed his nerves and dove into the nearest crater, quickly getting as close as he possibly could to the dirt. Arrow after arrow flew over his head and Chey knew it would only be a matter of time before the archer would change elevation to get a clean shot at him. The next crater wouldn't work and the edge of the plain was still another forty feet away.

Reinventing his plan on the fly Chey threw out one smoke bomb. Once the smoke filled the air he charged through it and got to the edge of the forest. Chey continued his sprint and threw out the three explosives as far as could in front of him.

By the time the smoke cleared the explosives had gone off and several trees had been uprooted and were falling over in front of Chey. He ignored the arrows flying by his head and ran and dogged his way through the falling spruces.

Chey finally spotted the archer's position, who had taken to the ground in order to better fire at Chey. Memorizing the spot, Chey threw down his last smoke bomb and sprinted towards the man.

The archer was trying to see through the smoke when a barreling Chey came flying out of the vision obscuring smoke. The explosives expert tackled the archer around the waist and the two went tumbling down the nearby hill.

Now that he was close enough to see the archer fully, Chey saw the archer was wearing a straw conical hat and a blue warrior's outfit with a red handkerchief around his neck. Once he tackled the archer though, Chey realized something wasn't quite right with this man, but he couldn't figure it out, nor did he have time to.

The archer dug his hand into the dirt and managed to slow himself halfway down the tumble, which in turn cause Chey to roll all the way down to the bottom. Once he recovered to his feet, Chey realized he had been outdone. Peering back up the hill he saw the archer, arrow readied, about to fire at him. His eyes widened as he sent a silent prayer to Agni.

"AHHH!" The scream distracted both men and they both looked to the treetops to see a quickly falling Kyudo with bow ready. Kyudo fired the arrow and the archer ducked just before it impaled him. Then, the archer fired.

Kyudo had no time to dodge in the air and the expertly fired arrow plunged deep into his chest. He landed with a thud as Chey's vision became obstructed with white hot anger and tears.

The archer seemed lost at first, but quickly came back to this world when he heard the sound of Chey charging up the hill.

He had time to fire two arrows before Chey would reach him. The first one Chey sliced through and the second pierced his upper arm, but didn't slow him at all.

Chey hit the man with a shoulder charge which caused him to drop his bow. Taking advantage of the now disarmed man, Chey wrapped a hand around the archer's throat and slammed him against a tree.

"Raise your head, I want to see the face of the man I send to Hell!" Chey spit out like venom between his teeth. The man raised his head to reveal a face belonging to a boy no older than thirteen years old. Chey dropped him in shock and fell over in shock. "What? You're just a kid."

The boy remained silent.

"How could you kill you those men?"

Still silent.

"Don't you realize what you have done!"

Silence.

"YOU! Killed... Kyudo..." Chey trailed off as he knelt before his now deceased friend. The boy crept closer to Chey, "LEAVE! Before I change my mind!" The boy finally seemed to realize Chey would not kill him and sprinted into the forest.

Chey checked Kyudo's body for any sign of life and upon seeing none, broke down into tears. He stayed in the forest until nightfall mourning over the loss of his best friend. He sacrificed himself, but Chey wished the archer had hit him with that arrow.

* * *

Chey buried Kyudo's body where he was slain. Without any tools, it took until dawn the next day to dig a deep enough grave, but Chey would not rest.

Typically, Fire Nation citizens were cremated at their funerals, but Chey knew that he could no longer partake in any Fire Nation tradition. Since he didn't have a tombstone, Chey settled for what would truly represent Kyudo. He buried his best friend's sword bow deep into the ground and said his last respects before making the journey back into town.

The journey proved to be quite difficult for the broken down Chey. He often tripped over his own feet and often had to rest in order as to not collapse and make a scene in the village. He made sure that not a soul saw him when he crept aboard the ship. Stumbling his way around the ship managed to land him on Kyudo's bed, where he continued to express his sorrows

Finally, Chey's body seemed to no longer be capable of producing tears and he gained enough composure to examine the room. Chey looked around for some form of a will and thought he had found it when he found a small trunk underneath Kyudo's bed.

However, he was disappointed to see the trunk contained only a diagram and piece of string that almost seemed to be glowing gold. Upon closer examination, this diagram seemed to be exactly what had occupied Kyudo for all his years aboard the ship. He had been designing a weapon based off the ship's ballista, except small enough for one man to carry and operate. Kyudo's name for the invention, the crossbow.

Chey decided to do the next best thing to fulfilling his friend's last wishes, and that was to complete his invention and build it. The process took a day and a half to complete, during which Chey left Kyudo's room for maybe ten minutes. The finished product was well worth the exhausting work.

The crossbow was carved out of the finest oak wood and reinforced with several steel plates, The most amazing part of the weapon had to be the string that Kyudo had though. No matter how much abuse it took, it would not break and arming the weapon took minimal pulling effort. Somehow the string flung the arrows, or bolts as Kyudo designed and called, at twenty times the force it took to arm the weapon. The bolts were small and easy to carry and the weapon was lightweight and compact. It was the ultimate in range weapons: quick, reliable, and accurate.

It was for these reasons that Chey knew he could not allow the design nor the weapon fall into Fire Nation hands. He secured the crossbow around his back with a leather strap along with his sword, then burned the blueprints.

Sitting down at Kyudo's desk, he prepared himself to write the most difficult letter in his life. His formal letter that he, after being a proud citizen for all twenty-five years of his life, was deserting the Fire Nation.

* * *

AN: Welp, that's it guys. Chey is done with the Fire Nation and it took his best friend's death to push him over the edge. A whole lot happened this chapter in a short amount of time.

First off, we had the scene of Piandao telling Iroh that Lu Ten had died. This is the scene I struggled with the most and I really hope you guys liked it. I feel so bad for Iroh, but it all had to happen. I really couldn't justify changing that much of the show's background so everything bad happened at once for him.

Ozai was barely in power for a few days before he decided to punish Chey and the squad. Speaking of which, this chapter marks the last time that the squad was ever assembled.

I put in the bit with the Water Tribe warriors for two reasons. The first being some foreshadowing and the other is that I wanted to have Chey unable to kill two people for different reasons.

He couldn't kill Koan (Water Tribe) because he had a son and Chey was reminded of Lu Ten and Iroh. Chey couldn't kill the archer (props to whoever figures out who that is) because no matter how angry he was over Kyudo's death, he couldn't bring himself to kill a boy like Zhao and Mongke had planned to do with Jet.

So, in the last two chapters we had two major deaths and three desertions. Even though Chey says he is the second to desert in the show, I have decided to change that to be forth after Janan and Piandao. Although Janan's desertion may not count since everyone, excluding Chey, thinks she is dead. I hate to kill characters, especially Lu Ten and Kyudo, but it was needed in order to get the story where it needed to be. Kyudo's death has deeply affected Chey and we will see this in the upcoming chapter.

Thank you to those who read/review my story, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter, we get to see what happens to Chey after he deserts. That chapter will probably end up being quite long because it will cover from this point up until we meet Chey in the show (the episode "The Deserter"). Until then, thank you guys for reading.

P.S. I almost forgot to talk about Chey's newest weapon, the crossbow. Kyudo is the inventor of the crossbow in the Avatar universe (according to my story) and Chey saw his invention through to completion. I finally get to reveal why the heck I was talking about a ballista way back in chapter one, I had this idea for the crossbow for quite some time. The crossbow is gonna become Chey's new favorite weapon and we will get to see that on the upcoming chapters. I can't wait to show this new weapon off.


	8. The Training Begins

Chey looked at the items strewn across his bed for a half hour debating whether or not everything was essential. He had all his weapons secured to him, that was all he had ever needed before. But this was no normal mission, when he left the ship this time, it would be for good.

He had a sleeping bag rolled up with a small pouch of money, which made up the entirety of his possessions outside of his weapons. After much thought, he had decided not to steal any of the money the ship had onboard. Chey cared greatly for his misfit group of men and chose not to cause them any harm.

After securing the sleeping bag and pouch in a sack on his back he gave one last look at his quarters.

That was when he remembered he still had one more possession, the scroll that Jeong Jeong left him. Chey stared at it for a few moments before putting it in his pack, unread.

Sneaking off the ship proved to be much easier than Chey had originally anticipated. It was well past midnight and the crew was all below deck drinking heartily.

The village had darkened and quieted by the time Chey was meandering through the streets. The realization that he had nowhere to go was slowly sinking in and if he were being completely honest with himself, he was exhausted. After failing to remember the last time he slept, Chey decided to go to the local inn and get a good night of sleep before beginning his journey.

Ignoring the strange look from the innkeeper for his late arrival, Chey tossed a gold piece onto the desk and grabbed the key from the man's outstretched hand.

The room was simple: single bed in the middle of the room with a small washroom off to one side. Chey didn't care one bit what the quality of the room was, he just dumped his bag and weapons to one side of the bed and collapsed.

Unfortunately for Chey, years of being in the navy kept him from sleeping any later than sunrise. He arose groggily and gathered his things to head to the market.

He grabbed a papaya for breakfast and began walking for the edge of the village. Years of naval service also gave him one other skill: knowing when he was being watched.

Whoever happened to be following him wasn't being too discreet about it either. Chey also realized that there would only be a few people with any reason to follow him: someone from the ship.

He stole a backwards glance and couldn't help but notice the towering figure of Sovann and the signature spiky hair belonging to Roky. Chey had been hoping it was just some mercenary or even a soldier stationed in the village, anyone except someone from his ship.

There was no way he could bring himself to kill those two, he turned town a dead end alley hoping to be able to talk some sense into them.

Without bothering to turn around, Chey sighed and spoke loud enough for them to hear him, "I know why you two are here, but please, I am not going to fight you."

Roky stepped up to talk, but Sovann took his place, "It doesn't matter if you want to fight or not, we are taking you in Chey."

Before he let Chey get another word in, Sovann drew his katana and charged Chey. Chey quickly unsheathed his sword and blocked Sovann's ferocious attack. Anger seemed to be fueling Sovann as he blindly attacked Chey with huge swings. Chey was able to block each attack, but refused to take the opportunity to counter any of the swings.

Sovann had him backed against the wall, yet Chey still refused to provide any sort of offense. Sovann drew his sword high above his head and struck down hard against Chey's awaiting blade. The two swords stayed locked for several moments as both fighters stared viciously at one another.

Sovann smirked slightly and before Chey had time to react, Sovann's hand shot out and grabbed Chey by his throat. Chey gasped for breath, his knees were feeling weak as well as the grip on his sword. Sovann wore a wicked grin the entire time and Chey came to the realization that Sovann had no plans to capture him.

His sword dropped from his hands and clanged against the floor. Sovann raised his sword towards the sky to finish him off. Just before Chey felt the last of his consciousness leave him, a strange heat suddenly overtook the air.

Chey coughed and gasped for a few minutes before finally beginning to breath normally. He looked up to see Sovann laying on the ground with Roky standing at the front of the ally with smoldering fists. Upon closer inspection, Chey realized that Sovann had been killed and Roky was staring at his hands in disbelief.

Chey grabbed his sword and spoke slowly, "Roky, did you... do this?" Roky nodded his head slowly. "Alright Roky, I want you to forget about all this. Just go back to the ship and leave. Tell them I deserted and let them deal with it. I will be fine, I promise." Roky stayed in a state of disbelief as he slowly backed out of the alley and took off running.

Chey sighed before preparing to sneak Sovann's body through the city.

* * *

_Month 1, Mid-Winter 96 ASC: Three years prior to the Avatar's return..._

A month of travelling has left Chey exhausted, hungry, and without money. However, all that no longer mattered as he had finally reached his destination: Shu Jing. Home to the formerly renowned swords master: Piandao.

Chey was at first surprised to hear that Piandao was living in such a well known town, with him being wanted for deserting after all. He decided to get the answers how he managed to survive from the old man himself.

Word around town was that Piandao lived in the giant castle atop the big hill just outside of the village. The first thing Chey noticed about the castle was on the doors was a giant White Lotus symbol. Chey smiled slightly at the memory of Jee and Piandao playing Pai Sho before knocking at the castle gates.

A clearly irritated man with graying hair opened the huge doors, "Yes?"

Chey was caught slightly off guard by the unknown man, "Um, well I am here to see Piandao."

"I am sorry, but Piandao does not take unexpected visitors, that is unless you plan to train with him."

"Train? Oh no, I am just an old friend of Piandao's."

"An old friend? Most of Piandao's 'friends' have tried to kill him so I don't think he will be wanting to see you anytime soon."

The man stepped back and was about to shut the gates before a familiar voice stopped him, "Who is it Fat?"

The man, whose name was apparently Fat, turned towards the source of the voice, "Someone who claims to know you sir."

Piandao rushed to the door, "Chey! Come in at once. We have much to discuss." They all headed inside and sat around a small table. "So do tell me what has become our famed unit since I last saw you guys."

"Well let's see. Iroh and Jee are both living in the Caldera as I'm sure you already know. Kyudo and I spent some time together running the _Elegant Dragon_. We were the disgrace of the navy according to most. And of course I'm sure you have heard that I have deserted."

"Yes, I did hear that. But I never could figure out why."

"Well, you may have not heard, but... Kyudo is dead."

"Oh my. No, I never heard that, I'm so sorry about that. When did this happen?"

"A little over a month ago, I deserted immediately after and made my way here. I figured if anyone can help me it would be you. Outside of Jeong Jeong, I know you have been the only one to survive after deserting."

"Ah yes, my desertion. Let me tell you, it was not exactly easy Chey. After I deserted, I travelled the world for a few months before coming here. The Fire Nation tracked me here and sent over a hundred soldiers to kill me. I managed to defeat them all which made the Fire Nation realize I wasn't worth the trouble so they left me alone. I have since been training those interested in the arts of sword fighting. Fat here was my first student and decided to stay here with me. Of course, you are more than welcome to stay here with us."

"I would be honored, but I don't want to attract the Fire Nation to you."

"Nonsense, you will be perfectly fine here. The Fire Nation knows not to bother me, in fact they trust me enough that Crown Prince Zuko will be arriving here next week for sword training."

"A member of the Royal Family learning how to fight with swords? That is unheard of."

"Yes, well about that. The Fire Lord may not exactly know about this. You see, Iroh set this all up for Zuko. Under no circumstances can Zuko know that you have deserted. He is loyal to his father and would report you immediately. I believe that is all you need to know, now then Fat won't you show Chey to his room."

* * *

_The next week..._

Chey quite enjoyed living with Piandao. He had a comfortable bed and received three meals a day, ten times better than what he had faced in the month prior. The day that Zuko would be coming was finally upon them and truth be told, Chey was quite nervous.

The way in which his father rose to power was still unknown to anyone outside of the palace. Since Iroh was still alive and healthy, he should have been the one to become Fire Lord when Azulon passed away. Yet for some reason, Iroh was passed up in favor of Ozai.

Zuko was scary to Chey for only one reason. If Zuko so much as just mentioned one breath of Chey being with Piandao to anyone inside the palace, the Fire Nation would be at his throat in moments.

That didn't mean Chey was just going to be a hermit and stay in his room all day while Zuko was here. Chey wanted to meet the young man and was going to start training with Piandao any day now.

A resounding knock came from the castle gates and Chey rushed to see their new guest. He arrived just as Fat opened the doors to reveal Iroh, Jee, and who Chey guessed to be Zuko.

The three stepped inside and Piandao greeted them heartily, "Hello there old friends. Jee, Iroh, would you please accompany Fat and I into the kitchen? We have much to discuss. Chey, stay here and get acquainted with Zuko."

They all left leaving behind the now nervous Chey and Zuko. The Crown Prince had a full head of black hair with some tied in a topknot atop his head. His face still had some childlike features, Chey guessed that he was about thirteen or so.

Chey kicked a loose pebble on the ground, "So, uhh Zuko, what do you do for fun?"

* * *

AN: Ok well, let me start off by saying that I am finally done with my year at school. I have loads of time to write now which means there will be a lot more updates coming out. One minor note though, I will be gone for a week starting June 16 so no updates for that week.

Anyway, onto this story. I know this chapter is terribly short, but I think that it is ultimately for the best. I promise next chapter will be a lot more light hearted than any other chapter thus far in the story because it will be featuring the many misadventures that Zuko and Chey get into.

So there is not much to talk to in this chapter. Sovann was killed which marks yet another character to be killed. Chey couldn't bring himself to do it so Roky decided to save Chey by killing Sovann. There wasn't much as far as the dangers of deserting the Fire Nation, but we will be getting into that shortly.

Oh, also a few other notes. Piandao's butler's name really is Fat in case you were wondering. The second thing is that I have yet to address one person in this story: Ursa. At this point in the story, she has been banished from the Fire Nation and I have yet to say even a word about it. This is mostly because anyone outside of the Fire Nation Palace don't actually know she has been banished. I will be sure to talk about her in the next chapter though.

Annnnd that is pretty much it, after several heavy edits this chapter is finally out and I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Edit: Also do keep in mind that Zuko has not been banished or scarred yet.


	9. They Were a Gift

**Really quick AN**: If Zuko seems out of character in this chapter, that is due to him not being the same age as he is in the show. He is currently 12 in the story so it is about a year before he receives his scar. So please, keep that in mind while reading this.

* * *

Keeping Zuko from finding out about Chey's background was beginning to become a full time affair for Piandao, Fat, and last but not least, Chey. Once Iroh and Jee left, Zuko had little more to do than explore the castle. Chey played an elaborate game of hide and go seek during this time, although Zuko had no clue he was a part of the game.

There would be times when Chey dove blindly out of windows to avoid having another conversation with the boy. Chey learned one thing from his brief conversation with Zuko on the day of his arrival, he was 12 years old. That's it. Chey, a proud Fire Nation soldier for 6 years managed to extract only a single piece of information from a twelve year old boy.

Chey's days of avoiding any contact with Zuko were numbered though, for tomorrow they both began their training with Piandao. Chey had several nightmares that night of being viciously hunted down by the Fire Nation and tortured for information. These nightmares kept him awake all night which forced him to be late to his first lesson from Piandao, who started promptly at dawn.

Much to Chey's surprise, Zuko was already awake and ready to learn well before he was. Piandao faced away from his two students as he soaked in the early morning sun rays.

"I'm glad you finally decided to join us Chey." The old sword master spoke slowly. "Now then, for your first lesson, I require something very special." He pointed to the high mountains overlooking the entire island. A large waterfall cascaded down from the range, filling all the island's creeks and rivers. "Fetch me some of the water from that waterfall."

Zuko and Chey both stared mouths agape at Piandao's backside, the mountain was clear across the island and the journey would take days.

"Ummm, Master? Why can't we just fetch some water from a nearby creek?" Zuko squeaked out.

"Ah, you are missing the point, boy. This water is not for drinking, it will be used for making your sword. The fresher the water, the better the sword. So you two will be getting water from the freshest point on the island, the waterfall."

This time Chey protested, "Uh Piandao, I already have a sword so why would I need to go?"

Piandao turned to look Chey in the eyes and chuckled lightly, "You wouldn't leave a twelve year old boy to fend for himself, would you Chey?" Chey grumbled in respone. "Excellent, see you two in a few days."

Chey and Zuko exchanged a look before parting ways to prepare for the journey. Chey packed a bed roll, three full canteens, a few meals, his crossbow for hunting, and his wrist gauntlets in case he got into trouble. He had considered bringing his sword, but decided against bringing along unnecessary weight. He secured his pack onto his back and made for the front gates.

Zuko had already beaten Chey there and had appeared to have been waiting for quite a while. Much to Chey's dismay, Zuko seemed to only be carrying a small canteen.

"Zuko." The boy looked up when Chey called. "Where is the rest of your gear?"

Zuko looked at Chey as if he had sprouted a second head, "What do you mean... gear?"

Chey was quite taken aback by his answer, "You know... um. A bed roll, food, enough water, weapons?"

Zuko kept up his quizzical look, "Didn't you pack enough for both of us?"

Chey prepared to yell at the boy for his laziness, but a sudden realization stopped him. Zuko had never once venture outside the Caldera, he was used to having everything given to him. Chey would have to patient. "Sorry kid, but you aren't in the palace anymore. I'll help you out the first time, but you gotta learn to do these things on your own. Ok?"

Chey told Zuko everything he would need and showed him how to tie up his pack. With each unsuccessful try, Chey grimaced but kept his mouth shut. Zuko eventually got the pack secured and around his pack on his fifth or so try.

The two headed back to the castle gates before Chey stopped, "Wait a minute Zuko. What about weapons? Do you have any?"

"Well I have my firebending" Zuko displayed a rather pitiful fire blast that he seemed quite embarrassed of." I guess I also have this dagger." He pulled out a small pearl dagger with some inscription on it.

Chey laughed slightly at it, "Sorry Zuko, but that thing is ceremonial. It isn't gonna cut anything." Zuko's face dropped and Chey panicked. "Hey, uh no. Don't worry about it. Here I have a small hunting knife you can use instead." Chey dug threw his pack quickly and handed the small blade over to the now beaming Zuko. Chey smiled too, "Alright, let's get started then."

The two set off on the road leading into town and quickly veered off as soon as they saw a creek. Zuko was following Chey's footsteps, but not his mindset. "Wait, Chey. Why are we going off the road? Shouldn't we just follow the road to the waterfall?"

Chey pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated with Zuko's lack of basic survival knowledge. "No. Nobody would have made a road leading that deep into the mountains. Our best bet is to follow the creek upstream until we find the waterfall."

"Oh."

Chey ignored Zuko's dumbfounded response and continued walking along the creek. Zuko managed to keep pace with him, but true to any boy that age he began to grow bored.

"So Chey, how do you know Piandao?"

Chey checked the sun to check the time of day, and used it as an excuse to ignore Zuko. The Crown Prince was never deterred however.

"Why are you looking at the sun?"

Chey was beginning to realize just how sheltered a life Zuko really had lived up to this point, "Well, I'm looking at the sun because you can tell the time of day by doing that."

Zuko's eyes lit up, "Really? How do you do it?"

"It's easy really. See how the sun is high up in the sky right above us?"" Zuko nodded. "Well that means that it is midday. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, it takes a full day for it to make that journey. So since it is right above us right now, that means it is halfway through its journey, so it is midday."

"I think I get it." Zuko said, rather unsure of himself.

"It's easy, you'll have the hang of it no time at all."

The next two hours will filled with silence, aside from Zuko occasionally asking Chey if he was telling the time correctly. Their first obstacle had come into view and was now no more than a few hundred feet away. The creek flowed downwards from a cliff in a small waterfall. The cliff was set firmly between two mountains that would take over half a day to go around. The only way for them to continue was up.

Zuko's optimism soon burst through, "Hey look Chey! We made it! The waterfall is right there!"

Chey could only shake his head, "Sorry kid, but that isn't the waterfall we are looking for. Piandao's waterfall is much higher up in the mountains. So I guess we are going to have to climb that cliff to continue."

Zuko's eyes grew with fear, "C-c-climb? Why can't we just go around?"

"What are you, crazy? Going around those mountains would take all day and there is no guarantee we can find the creek again. Nope, we are going up."

The two arrived at the cliff and Chey did a quick spot check to make sure his pack was still firmly attached. Feeling satisfied with it, he began his ascent up the cliff, which was no more than thirty feet high. A slight divot in the rock allowed him a rest about halfway up. Looking down to his progress made him very annoyed though. For at the bottom of the cliff, was the shaking in his boots Zuko.

"Hurry up kid, we don't have all day." Chey called down.

"Yeah... um. Here's an idea. How about you go get the water and I'll stay here to make sure you get back safe?"

Chey rolled his eyes, "Or... how about you get your ass up here so we can finish this before I grow old?"

"Ok, but uhh. I don't know how to climb..." Zuko admitted, with his face flushing red.

Chey smacked his palm against his forehead. "Alright, just stay there and I'll come down to teach you." He scaled back down the cliff in no time and once at the bottom motioned to Zuko to start climbing.

The young firebender attacked the cliff, clawing his fingers in and just attempting to scamper up the rock as quickly as possible. To nobody's surprise, he couldn't make it more than 4 feet off the ground.

Chey placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder to stop another unsuccessful try. "Stop Zuko. You are never going to get anywhere doing that. You have to stop and think before you act. Look for the holes in the rock and use those to climb up. But remember, be patient."

Zuko nodded and took a deep breath. Chey smiled as he watched the young boy finally grasp at the idea of climbing the cliff. Progress was slow for Zuko, but after about five minutes of diligent climbing, he had made it all the way up the cliff.

"I did it... I did it!" Zuko called out proudly to the skies.

"Great job kid, I'll be up in a sec." Chey scaled the cliff in no time and the two set off once more along the creek side. Zuko's confidence was visibly growing as evidenced by them stopping every hundred feet or so because Zuko wanted to show Chey some of his firebending skills.

Although he was not the best firebender Chey had ever seen, he had to admit that Zuko did show quite a bit of promise. Of course, it all seemed to be linked to his confidence.

The terrain was beginning to get much more strenuous during the waning hours of the day. Rather than attempting to make it to the waterfall in one day, Chey told Zuko they would be making camp at the base of a mountain.

The sun had long disappeared behind the mountains by the time the two companions had made a meal and set up their camp. Rather than catch up on some sleep though, Zuko was much happier with asking Chey questions about anything and everything.

"So Chey, you never told me, how do you know Piandao?" The question reared its ugly head once more.

"Just go to bed Zuko."

"Come on Chey. Last question I promise."

Chey sighed, "Alright fine. If you really must know, Piandao and I used to be in a squad together. Your uncle and cousin were with us too."

"My cousin?" Zuko's tone saddened. "When were you in the army?"

Chey sighed once more, "A long time ago..."

Zuko seemed to take a hint and both fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Chey awoke the next morning to see that once more Zuko had beaten him to be the first to see the morning sun. The young boy was sitting twenty feet away from the camp, sitting cross legged facing the rising sun. Chey sauntered over only to discover that Zuko was actually meditating, not just sitting around.

Chey knew better than to disturb a firebender when they were meditating so he went to prepare a small breakfast. Breakfast consisted of a small amount of dried meat with rice and was eaten silently by the pair in a few minutes.

The first few hours of their hike was filled with an unusual silence, and Chey was beginning to worry that something was wrong with Zuko.

"Hey kid, what's the matter?"

The question seemed to stir Zuko from his thinking stupor, "Huh? Oh, well I was just thinking about my cousin I guess. How well did you know him?"

"Well, he and I were involved in the Siege of Ba Sing Se as I'm sure you know all about. Lu Ten gave his life to ensure that we would survive. Your cousin made the ultimate sacrifice for us. You should be proud to be related to him."

"Wow, I had no idea. But... why are you not in the army anymore?"

"That's a long story. Let's just say that they let me go when I... lost some people very close to me."

"Oh... I know how you feel. My mom... left not too long ago. Right after my grandpa Azulon died actually. One night she just... disappeared."

"That's rough buddy. My parents died when I was young too. I guess we have to look after each other now right?"

Zuko smiled up to him, "Yeah, we do!"

* * *

The two of them had finally arrived at the base of the waterfall. Before them stood the behemoth of a waterfall that supplied the entire island with fresh water.

"Alright kid, let's fill up the canteens and get back." Chey announced, exhausted by the long hike.

Zuko seemed quite surprised by this, "What do you mean? Doesn't Piandao want us to get the water from the top of the waterfall?"

"Listen kid, I'm exhausted, and I don't feel like scaling up a two hundred foot cliff just to get the same water I can get down here. Plus if we just get the water from here then we can walk through the night and be back tomorrow morning."

"But... Piandao wants us to get water from the top. There is no honor in lying, Chey."

Chey fought back a curse, "... Fine kid, you really want to go up there. Lead the way."

His attempt to deter Zuko went unnoticed, for the firebender once again took on the cliff, climbing at an impressive rate. Chey figured he better go up there too in order to make sure Zuko didn't hurt himself.

The climb was excruciating. Every last inch was more strain than the last for Chey's tired muscles. If Zuko was tired he was sure able to mask the pain much better than Chey. The Crown Prince was already ten feet higher Chey and the distance was gradually increasing.

After what felt like an eternity, Chey's hands gripped the soft grass at the top of the cliff. He used the last of his strength to pull himself up and then promptly sprawled out onto the ground.

"Kid... you're a natural." Chey managed to say between pants.

The compliment lit up Zuko's world it seemed, "Thanks Chey, but you really ought to take a look at what's around you."

Chey rolled over and propped himself up to see just what Zuko was talking about. The river was leading out of a massive lake surrounded by the four highest mountain summits in the area.

"Wow." Chey said in awe.

Zuko was just as amazed, "My cousin used to take me to cool place like this all the time, but never this cool."

* * *

The two filled their canteens and made a quick turnaround, managing to arrive back to Piandao's castle in just another day and a half. It was well past sunset by the time they made it back, but Piandao was patiently waiting for them just inside the castle gates.

"So, you have returned. Did you bring what I ask of you?"

Chey threw the canteens at his feet. "There ya go, don't see what is so special about that water, but since Master Piandao insisted..."

Piandao just chuckled as Zuko and Chey passed by him to beds.

* * *

_Month 2, End of Winter 96 ASC: Three years prior to the Avatar's return..._

Progress was quite slow for Zuko learning the way of the sword. The heavy jian sword was too much for the young firebender. His latest lesson ended with both him and Piandao throwing up their arms in disgust and storming off.

Figuring that cheering up a twelve year old boy would be easier than figuring out the mystery that was Piandao, Chey chased after the young boy. He found Zuko out in the courtyard, desperately trying to lift a hefty jian above his shoulder.

"Forget it, Zuko." Chey called out after the sword clashed to the ground. "It's too heavy for you."

Zuko gritted his teeth, "I have to though. I have to... catch up."

"Catch up to who?" Chey threw up his arms to emphasize his point. "In case you didn't notice, Piandao doesn't have too many students."

"My sister."

"Your sister? What the hell does she have to with this?"

"She is always so much better at everything. And she's two years younger! Maybe if I could fight with swords then she would finally not make fun of me."

"Zuko, I hate to tell you this, but your sister is never going to stop making fun of you. That is what siblings do. You should be learning how to fight with swords because it is useful, not to boast."

Zuko seemed to ponder this for a moment, "Yeah... I guess you're right."

"I think you can be a great swords master Zuko, but I don't think the jian is the sword for you."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that. But Master Piandao says I will grow into it. Plus he won't teach me anything except jians."

"Clearly you aren't paying enough attention during your lessons. Master Piandao will teach you how to use a different style of sword, but you have to bring the sword to him."

"Well yeah, but how am I supposed to get a new sword?"

"Hmm, tell you what. You try to stay patient with Master Piandao and I will find you those swords."

"Alright... alright, yeah I'll do it!"

* * *

Chey hadn't a clue on how or where to get Zuko a new sword. Piandao had said last week that he no longer needed lessons, apparently there was nothing left for Chey to learn. Chey had forgotten what a good teacher Janan was for him. This left Chey with plenty of time to wander aimlessly for a sword.

Going into town could prove deadly, but he couldn't sit around the castle for the rest of his life living like a hermit. With that in mind, he dressed in all black and wore a hood that covered most of his face.

The town was bustling with shops, restaurants and people all moving across the busy streets. Chey checked all the weapon shops in town, but was disappointed each time due to his lack of funds. He figured Piandao wouldn't lend him the money, so he decided to get a job.

Chey also realized there was no way he could get a normal job without having to show his face, and the instant he showed his face he would be arrested. There was a way to make money fast, but there was a lot of danger involved. Deciding the danger of being discovered greater than the danger with the more shady job, he went to check out the local bounty board.

Plastered between several smaller bounties was a large wanted poster with a reward of two hundred gold pieces. It wasn't the money that interested Chey, though, the description of the man was far more alluring.

The wanted man was robbing the entire town blind and he was apparently doing it with a pair of dual dao swords. Chey was somewhat familiar with the blades, they were fairly light weight and would be perfect for Zuko.

Chey knew exactly where to find the man to, or at least information about him. He went to a nearby tavern to seek out this information. The tavern was less bleak and dreary than Chey had been expecting. The town of Shu Jing was quite rich so it would only make sense that they would have a nice tavern as well.

He went up to the counter and signaled to the barkeep. Chey pulled the wanted poster from his pocket and placed it on the counter, "What can you tell me about this man?"

The barkeep took a long look at the drawing of the man, "He's been in here a few times. Course that was before he went on his little crime spree. Rumor has it that his next target is gonna be old Piandao up on his castle."

Chey smiled slightly, "Perfect." He threw some money on the table and stood up to leave.

* * *

Chey knew that no thief would be stupid enough to go after a target during the day, so he had spent the last few nights staking out the path up to Piandao's home, waiting for the thief to strike.

_SNAP_

The noise of a twig snapping brought Chey's attention to behind his position. He charged the site of the noise, sword drawn, ready to finish the man. He pushed through the final bit of brush and raised his sword to strike-

"WAIT CHEY! IT'S ME!" Zuko called out franticly.

Chey glared at the boy, "What in Agni's name are you doing out here Zuko?"

Zuko kicked the dirt at his feet around nervously, "Well I kinda found this wanted poster in your bedroom and I figured you were going after the guy so I wanted to help."

Chey's glared deepened, "Don't go through my stuff. And go home. It is too dangerous out here."

"Aw, come on Chey. I promise I won't bug you."

Chey knew that convincing Zuko to go back to bed would be more trouble than it was worth, so he just passively waved his hand. Zuko jumped in the air with glee.

"Shush it!" Chey whispered to him before signaling for Zuko to follow him.

The two went down the path from the castle about forty feet before climbing into a nearby tree.

The thief didn't keep them waiting long it seemed. A lone figure came walking up the path from town.

This was quite puzzling to Chey, it was clearly the thief, but he could not figure out why he would just stroll up to his target like he owned the place.

"Don't worry Chey, I'll get him." Zuko whispered to him, and before Chey realized what he had said the young firebender had hopped from the tree and was sprinting towards the man.

Zuko fired two fire blasts before the thief knew he was even being attacked. However, the thief was no slouch and expertly rolled off to the side of the path. He drew his swords and looked for his attacker's position.

Zuko took this opportunity to conjure up a flame stream that could rival that of a master firebender's. Rather than roll out of the way of the oncoming flames, the thief just stood there. For a moment, Chey thought that Zuko had actually done it.

The moment didn't last long though, for in the blackened dirt stood the untouched thief.

"What? How?" Zuko breathed out.

His answer came soon enough as the thief hurled two fire arcs at Zuko using his swords to bend the flames with. Zuko was so stunned to learn the the man was a firebender that he had no time to put up a proper defense, and was subsequently knocked to the ground. Quick as the flames he fired, the thief was already over to Zuko.

"Stop right there!" Chey called out, crossbow drawn and aimed at the thief's head.

The thief turned to Chey, "What the hell kind of weapon you got there?"

"One that will send an arrow through your head without so much as a second thought. Now, drop your weapons!"

The thief seemed to realize he was beat and began to lower his swords. At the exact same time Zuko was beginning to recover and got to his feet.

The thief wasted no time and had the swords acroos Zuko's neck as soon as he stood, "Now, why don't you go ahead and lower your weapon?"

Chey gritted his teeth, "I can kill you faster than you can move those swords."

"But, do you really want to risk the kid's life?" The thief pulled the blades closer to Zuko's throat for emphasis. Zuko tried to back farther away, but the man's body prevented it. Chey realized he was beat, he lowered the crossbow to the ground. The thief smiled, "Good, good. Now then, I don't want you following us. I'm sure this kid will gather a high ransom from Piandao. If I see you take one step towards us or reach for that weapon of yours, the kid is dead instantly. Got it?"

Chey nodded and the thief began backing away slowly. Eventually the two disappeared from sight and Chey bent over to grab the crossbow once more. He considered getting Piandao and Fat to help, but he didn't want to lose the trail so he sprinted after the two.

The thief had made no attempt to cover his footprints so finding the two of them was quite easy. Not to mention, he had lit a fire that could be seen from quite a distance away. Chey knew the thief wanted to be found, he wanted to kill Chey and be done with it.

Figuring that stealth would be pointless, he walked right into the man's camp. The camp was situated on the edge of a plain, flanked by a large rock wall surrounding almost the entirety of the camp.

"Glad you could make it." The thief said to Chey. In the light, Chey now saw what the man looked like. He was completely bald with several tattoos running down his arms and face.

"Wasn't too hard. Now then, why don't you just hand over the-"

_RAM_

Before Chey could finish his thought, a komodo came charging form the field and rammed Chey into the rock wall.

"Oh there you are boy!" The thief called out, talking about the rhino.

The beast kept Chey pinned to the wall using its strong horn. Chey felt like he was going to pop with the amount of pressure being pushed into him. There was no way for him to reach for his sword or crossbow, so that left him with only one option.

He unsheathed his wrist blades and slammed them into the rhino's neck. "RAAAWWWR!" The animal cried out in immense pain. The rhino finally stopped pushing into Chey and began to run around wildly. Komodo rhinos were known to hold a grudge though, for the rhino was once again charging Chey.

Chey was ready this time though. With his crossbow drawn and aimed, he fired an arrow right between the creature's eyes. The arrow dug partially into the animal's hard skull which forced it to veer off its course and slam into the wall next to Chey.

Now was Chey's chance to finish it off, and he wasn't going to waste it. Walking over to the still dazed creature, Chey drew his sword and delivered the finishing blow to the dying animal. He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around the campsite for Zuko and the thief.

They had made their escape during Chey's fight and were now two hundred feet across the plain, Chey began sprinting after them.

"AAAHH!" Chey heard the man scream after Zuko had apparently stabbed the man in the leg with Chey's hunting knife.

Chey was still a few feet away when he saw the man catch up to Zuko, swords drawn, ready to rid himself of his problem. The man grabbed Zuko by his collar and swung downwards at Zuko's form.

"OOF!" The man let out after Chey had tackled him to the ground mere moments before killing Zuko. The man reached for his sword next to him, but Chey was already on his feet and squashed the man's hand beneath his boot. "AAAHH!"

Chey grabbed him by the collar and knelt on top of him, he forced the man to look at the fury on Chey's face. The thief seemed scared for the first time all night, however, Chey wasn't going to let him die peacefully.

Keeping his collar in his left hand, Chey began to incessantly punch the man in the face. Punch after punch until Chey finally felt the life leave the man. Chey gathered the swords and their sheath and walked over to Zuko.

There were tears in the young boy's eyes, Chey wiped them away with his sleeve and put the swords in his hands.

Chey tried to calm down before speaking, "Here. I got you these as a gift."

* * *

AN: Hmmm, I seem to recall promising a more light hearted chapter. Well, I did try to write that, but it just wasn't working, so I decided to split up the chapter into two and post just the first half. Maybe the second half will be more light hearted, who knows?

I really did enjoy writing Zuko when he was younger. As you can see, Chey has taken on the older brother role quite well with Zuko. As evidenced by the last bit in the chapter, Chey is not going to let anyone hurt Zuko. I don't want to talk too much about this chapter because I want you, the reader, to figure out most of the references in it. I'll give you an example, in the episode where Zhao figures out Zuko is the Blue Spirit, he asks Zuko where he got the dual dao swords. Zuko tells Zhao that they were a gift. Well, now you see that what he said is actually true.

I want Chey's personality to rub off on Zuko, so I wrote in a bunch of recognizable quotes from the show. See if you can find them.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who sticks by me during these long breaks. I was just having trouble writing, but luckily I have the itch to write once more. This and my other story should be updated again soon. Until then, thanks to those who read/review and enjoy.


	10. No Help

_Month 6, Beginning of Summer 96 ASC: Three years prior to the Avatar's return..._

Chey watched Zuko train with Piandao every day, from dusk til dawn the young boy went through countless forms and strikes. The four months since Zuko had received the swords changed his confidence greatly. The dao blades and the firebender seemed to be made for each other, the swords were truly becoming an extension to his arms.

The past four months were absolute bliss for Chey. He spent his days honing his fighting abilities, talking about the old times with Piandao, or taking Zuko on one of their many crazy adventures.

Chey did realize that his days with Piandao were becoming numbered. Zuko was set to return to the Caldera next month and Chey would no longer have any reason to stay with Piandao, other than it being the safest place in the world for him.

When he deserted he realized he wouldn't always be safe though, Chey wanted to make a difference in the war and he couldn't accomplish it here.

The next stage in his survival plan was linked to one thing, Jeong Jeong' scroll. After having it for so long, Chey thought that it was time to finally read his former superior's words. He eagerly grabbed the scroll from the shelf he kept it on and quickly rolled it out flat. There in the middle of the page it read:

"Glad you found your way."

Chey stared at it in bewilderment, "That's it?" He asked the empty room around him. Double checking the back of the page confirmed that his old superior indeed had only written one sentence. "That old sea dog left me with nothing."

After figuring out that Jeong Jeong would be unable to help him, Chey went outside to see if Piandao could perhaps help him. It was a blistering hot summer day in the Fire Nation, even though the sun had just risen less than an hour ago.

Strangely though, Chey's back was the part of him that felt the heat the most. Figuring he must have something hot attached to him, he pulled off his sword and crossbow. The relief was instant, as soon as the sword was off the sweltering heat was gone.

Upon investigating the sword he noticed the sapphire in the dragon's mouth glowing as brightly as a flame. Chey held the sapphire to the light for a closer examination. Once the gem entered the sun's rays a shimmering glare was cast off towards the west. It was no ordinary reflection though, this ray of light was slender and every time Chey moved the sword, the light pointed in the same direction.

"Good morning, Chey." Piandao called out to him as he walked across the courtyard towards him. "What is it that you are doing there?"

Chey snapped out of his trance, "Oh, um. I'm not really too sure. I came to find you earlier, but then I noticed that my sword was glowing."

"Glowing?"

"Yeah, and when I hold it up to the sun a ray of light shoots out, pointing in only one direction."

"That is quite strange. Tell me, wasn't that originally Janan's sword?"

Chey swallowed the lump in his throat, "Yes... yes it was. She gave it to me when she realized she couldn't make it out of the city."

Piandao gave him a strange look, but dropped the matter, "So what is it that you needed to see me about?"

"What? Oh right, I was looking for you because I realized that I can't stay here much longer. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything you have done for me, but I feel like I need to do more to help end this war. And I was just wondering if you had any advice on where I should go?"

"Well Chey, it seems to me that it can't be more obvious. Your sword is pointing you in a direction, so follow it."

"What? How? That doesn't make sense!"

"Sure it does, just follow the light."

"But what if it turns to night. Then I will be stranded somewhere with nothing to guide me."

"Oh Chey, you pay such little attention to the world around you. It is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. I'm sure you will have plenty of time to get to your destination. But, you must leave now."

"Alright, I'll do it. Thank you, thank you for everything, Master Piandao."

The two bowed towards each other and Chey raced back into the castle. After grabbing what few things he owned he raced back into the training courtyard to find Zuko.

The young boy had just finished practicing a complicated move when Chey walked over. "Heya kid."

Zuko looked up at him, "Oh, hey Chey."

Chey rubbed the back of his neck, "Listen, I'm not the best at these sorts of things so I'll just come straight out and tell you. I have to leave."

Zuko's face fell, "What? But why? Is it something I did?"

"No, of course not. It's just... my time to be leaving. I promise that we will see each other again." Chey bent down to look at Zuko face to face. "You gotta promise me you'll take good care of those swords, ok?"

Zuko nodded and immediately hugged Chey, who at first was taken aback, but soon returned the hug. Chey ruffled Zuko's hair once more, then set off through the castle gates.

* * *

The harbor was extra busy in the early morning with several fishermen and sailors rushing to set up their shops in preparation for the Solstice festivities. Among the fishing boats was exactly what Chey was looking for.

Three Fire Nation jet skis were docked unattended. The jet ski was the newest innovation, having just been invented when Chey deserted the army. He knew that they were developed for speed, the one thing Chey was looking for.

He pulled up his hood to conceal his face and casually hopped onto one of the jet skis. The engine roared to life and Chey sped off across the clear ocean.

Chey unsheathed his sword and held the gem high up in the air. The sun's rays once again hit the gem and shot off in a solid beam, seeming to point off at a faraway island Chey could hardly make out over the horizon. Another few hours of travelling would have Chey arriving at wherever he was supposed to be.

_"Thump thump."_

The soft sound of a beating drum or slow heart beat reverberated through Chey's ears. He checked the engine of the jet ski, but could see nothing wrong so continued along his way. Once again holding up his sword to the sword revealed that Chey was still on the right path.

The hours passed quickly as Chey bounced through the salty sea waves, the island was a mere hundred yards away. The sword on his back was growing hot once more, seemingly wanting to burst out of its sheath.

_"Thump thump."_

Chey checked around once more for the source of the sound, this time it had come across much louder. He decided it was nothing and began working his way onto the shore. The sword's beam seemed to be pointing up towards the enormous mountain jutting up from the middle of the mountain.

He began his trek through the jungle, swatting away bugs and trying to find any sort of relief from the sun. Not only was his sword producing an extraordinary amount of heat, but the solstice was shaping up to be the hottest day of the year.

As if the heat weren't enough, Chey also had the familiar feeling of being watched. His hope was that his imagination was just running wild and the sounds and feeling were because of the heat.

_"Thump thump."_

There was no mistaking the sound this time, the sound echoed through his ears louder than ever. He was gasping for air, tearing through the jungle as fast as possible so he could perhaps escape the suffocating heat.

Chey burst through the canvas of trees to find that he stumbled upon what appeared to be a pure white stone courtyard. Vines were creeping from cracks all along the stone, which led into a former city's ruins.

The realization hit Chey immediately, he was in the ruins of the Sun Warriors. He had heard and told several ghost stories during his childhood, and they seemed to be coming true.

_"Thump thump."_

He held his sword up once more to get directions and began sprinting through the ruins towards the mountain.

_"Thump thump."_

The mountain grew steeper with every step, the eyes were all around him.

_"Thump thump."_

The heat was too intense to stand, his heart beating fast enough to burst from his chest.

_"Thump thump."_

The mountain had twin peaks with a staircase leading up to a walkway connecting the two peaks.

_"Thump thump."_

Chey had been reduced to crawling, the sound of thumping was driving him slowly insane.

_"Thump thump."_

His nails dug into the stone, taking each step like it was an eternal battle.

_"Thump thump."_

His hands and knees bleeding, sweat rolled down his brow, he trudged on.

_"Thump thump."_

The sword's gem glowing a magnificent blue.

_"Thump thump."_

The top of the stairs finally in reach.

_"Thump thump."_

A red glow.

Silence.

The darkness enveloped him.

Chey awoke on the sandy beach with the moon high in the night sky. Laying across his chest was his sword, or at least he thought it was his sword. However, _his_ sword has still strewn across his back.

Upon closer examination, he noticed this new sword was its twin, except with a ruby gem and red sheath. Chey was quite curious as to how exactly he got this new sword, so he got up and looked back at the ruins.

_"Thump thump."_

Chey smiled to himself, shook his head, and decided to leave well enough alone.

* * *

Chey's jet ski went careening across the ocean, quickly approaching the Fire Nation blockade in the Mo Ce Sea. The last great barrier to the Earth Kingdom was the twenty Fire Nation warships patrolling the entire western coast of the Earth Kingdom.

The lead ship, captained by Zhao, gave the smoke signal which told Chey to stop for inspection. However, Chey had no intentions of stopping for Zhao. He pushed the engine to its limit, the jet ski whining and doubling its speed.

The black hulls of two ships closing his gap was looming ever closer. He had figured out the jet ski and was now quite capable of outmaneuvering the slow moving warships. Chey swerved to the right of the lead ship then back to the left to avoid crashing into the second ship. A quick glimpse at the bridge of the first ship led Chey to believe that Zhao had seen the entire thing.

* * *

"...Chey?" Zhao half whispered in astonishment as the jet ski went racing past the blockade.

"Pardon, sir?" His lead officer asked.

"Tell the men to follow that jet ski. That man is a traitor and needs to be brought to justice."

"Sir, with all due respect, we have strict orders to maintain the blockade of the Earth Kingdom."

Zhao stared daggers back at the man, "I said, follow that jet ski."

The officer gulped, "Yes sir."

* * *

Chey didn't have to wait long to figure out if Zhao had seen his stunt or not, for soon after he broke through the blockade three warships had broken formation and were now in pursuit of him.

Luckily the shore was close enough that he wouldn't be in range of the ship's long range trebuchets, but there was no way he could outrun them once on foot. His only hope was that there was an Earth Kingdom town close by that he could blend into.

Deciding a proper docking would only slow him down, he beached the jet ski a few feet up the shore and raced into the forest.

Luck appeared to be on his side, for he spotted a small village no more than three hundred yards off of the shore. Judging by the smoke from the ships, he guess he had maybe five minutes before they were on land.

Perhaps luck wasn't with Chey after all, for when he arrived at the village, he found it to be in ruins and completely deserted. He kicked in all the doors looking for some place to hide, but each house was completely burnt to a crisp. The last building seemed to be no different than the others either, and Chey was just about to give up on the whole village when he noticed a burnt piece of paper in the middle of the burnt out building.

He could hear the rhythmic footsteps of the Fire Nation troops closing in, he had to run. Yet for some reason, the paper seemed to draw him in. Chey sprinted to it and read it, both the top and bottom were burnt off which obscured quite a few words.

All that was remaining was:

"Took Teo north. Hide in the-"

"Damn." Chey cursed his luck. It was too late to run now though, the troops would see him and he couldn't fight off three ship's worth of soldiers. The letter had mentioned about somewhere to hide, perhaps not all was loss.

He scanned the entire room, nothing but charred walls and the remains of some furniture. Chey fell over, in defeat, deciding maybe capture wouldn't be so bad.

_"Creak."_

The sound of old wood creaking had Chey digging through the small amount of dirt covering the floor. It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for, a cellar. He hopped inside and closed the hatch behind him.

Unfortunately the cellar's hatch was now exposed and there was no way it would go unnoticed by the soldiers.

Fire Nation troops had just arrived in the village, some shouting out orders while others searched the houses. Chey was running out of time.

The cellar was pretty lackluster, a few shelves that had been all emptied and several exposed walls holding out the dirt. He tapped on all the wood slabs to see if perhaps they were hollowed out or something. There was no way this was the hiding spot the letter had promised.

_"Creak."_

Again the sound of rotting wood was music to Chey's ears. Another hatch was buried a few inches beneath the dirt, this one leading to a crawl space. He grabbed a shelf and managed to have it conceal the hatch after he had gone inside, mere moments before the soldiers had busted through the front door.

Chey stayed perfectly still in the pitch black crawl space until finally the sound of voices trailed off. There was nowhere to go except forward so he began to crawl through the tunnel. He could see a dim light at the end which gave him hope that the crawl space led out into the forest.

What he actually arrived in was tremendously better though. The tunnel had led him into a small room, decked from ceiling to floor in weapons and schematics. Chey had his tools now, he could finally fight the Fire Nation, fight Zhao.

* * *

_Month 11, End of Fall 96 ASC: Three years prior to the Avatar's return..._

For the past five months Chey had lived in the forest, honing his hunting skills and mastering the assortment of weaponry at his disposal. Occasionally he went to nearby villages to check on local rumors. On one of these trips he learned that the Fire Nation put up wanted posters for him.

Wanted dead or alive, the reward was massive, enough to buy a village even, which in turn led to an increase in bounty hunters all throughout the forest. These bounty hunters are what Chey liked to call, "target practice."

He would never kill them, only get his point across by pinning them to nearby trees by their clothing. His crossbow proficiency had grown so great that he grew bored with the weapon, so that is where the experimentation began.

Today, Chey had spotted a group of three bounty hunters entering the north side of the forest. This group contained two burly looking men wielding equally big battle axes. Normally, this group would be nothing out of the ordinary for Chey, but the third member was quite intriguing.

They were a young woman, petite and riding a shirshu. Chey had only ever seen one shirshu before, and that was years ago. He knew that if one inch of that tongue hit you though you would be out for quite a while. The girl didn't seem very comfortable handling the huge beast either, constantly yanking at its reins to keep it from veering off course.

Chey decided that this would be the perfect group to try out his new weapon, the whip. He always liked handicapping himself as well by sticking to just one weapon.

With whip in hand he perched himself atop a high tree branch and waited for the group to pass by. The two men were out in front with the girl and shirshu a few feet behind.

Chey unraveled the whip and latched it to the nearby branch directly in front of him. He checked if it would hold and flew towards them. Going in feet first, he connected with the first man's ribs and sent him toppling into the other man.

"Stop! Surrender now!" The girl called out when she rode up near the battle, with the two men trying to regain their composure nearby.

Chey just rolled his eyes and lashed the shirshu's backside, sending it into a frenzy. The beast ran all around with the girl trying to calm it down. This left Chey with only the two men to fight.

The first man tried to reach for his axe, but Chey whipped his hand out of the way. Chey then charged him and body slammed him to the ground. The man got to his knees and Chey was right there waiting for him.

He stepped on the man's legs and put the whip around his throat to begin choking him. As the first man began grasping for breath, the second man had finally gotten to his feet and began sneaking up on Chey.

Chey was wise to his tricks though, he kicked the side of the man's knees which forced him into a kneeling postion. From there Chey elbowed him in the mouth, all while keeping his whip around the first man's throat.

With his mouth now gushing blood the second man decided he was done and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. The first man took the momentary distraction to his advantage and flipped Chey over his shoulder and slammed him into the hard ground. With Chey on his back, the man rose to his feet still gasping for air.

He then rose his foot to stomp on Chey, but the former soldier was much too quick. Chey whipped the man's face which caused him to recoil back in pain. Quick as ever, Chey was back on his feet and ready to finish the fight. However, his opponent was not ready and decided to run away as well.

Chey wiped his brow and dusted himself off after another successful fight. He was just about to begin the trek back to the hideout when the shirshu, with the girl still holding on, came bursting into the scene.

"Leaving so soon?" She said with a smirk.

Chey eyed her suspiciously, "I thought you would still be training your pet."

"Cute... Nyla attack!"

The shirshu's tongue shot out at lightning speed, Chey had just enough time to duck and roll to the left. Deciding the animal was the larger threat, Chey once again lashed his whip towards it.

This time the girl was ready though, she put her arm in the way of the whip and took the hit. Unfortunately for her, the rope wrapped around her wrist and Chey dragged her to the ground.

Much to Chey's surprise, she wasn't down for long as she quickly recovered and charged him with a dagger. She was an obvious novice and Chey knew it.

He grabbed her wrist and twisted it to get to drop the dagger, her grip loosened and the dagger fell to the ground. Chey then grabbed her other wrist and held her back against his body.

"Nyla, here!" Chey said sharply. The bounty hunter's eyes widened in disbelief as her own shirshu lashed its tongue out and paralyzed her. Chey dropped the girl and stepped closer to the beast.

Nyla struck the ground with her tongue near Chey a few times as warning, but he kept advancing. One crack of his whip had the great shirshu kneeling before him. He gave it a soft pet on the head then walked over to the bounty hunter.

"But... how?" She struggled to say with the paralysis.

"My name is Chey. What about you?"

She seemed quite taken aback by his polite greetings, "Uh... June."

"Well June, you'll be glad to know that I'm not going to kill you. Those wanted posters make me sound like some sort of mad man, but I can assure you that isn't the case. In fact, I'd like to strike a deal with you."

"Oh yeah, what kind of deal?" June asked, quite intrigued.

"You tell everyone you know that you killed me, that will help you with your bounty hunter reputation. I will teach you how to control Nyla."

"I know-"

"Nope." Chey interrupted. "I have been watching you all day struggle with her. Now then, do we have a deal or not?"

June let out a frustrated sigh, "Fine."

"Good, now then I can't exactly show you since you are still paralyzed, but I can still teach you." He sat down beside her lying figure. "Your basic problem is that you are being too nice to her. Now I'm not saying you can't show affection, but you have to show her who's boss."

June waited a few seconds before responding, "That's it?"

"Well yeah, she trusted a complete stranger over you because I showed dominance. You do the same and she'll never leave your side. Now tell me June, how did you catch such a beautiful animal like Nyla?"

"She was my father's. He was a bounty hunter and she got passed down to me. I have been a bounty hunter for a little over a month now."

They continued to talk for another few hours until June had regained feeling in her body. She was just about to get onto Nyla when Chey stopped her.

"Here." He handed her the whip which she looked at curiously. "Well, you'll need evidence that you killed me."

"Thanks." She smiled and got up on Nyla. "Oh, and thanks for not killing me. I owe you one." With those last words, she galloped away back towards town.

* * *

_Month 12, Beginning of Winter 96 ASC: Three years prior to the Avatar's return..._

Chey was running for his life. One minute he is hunting for his next meal, the next he is being chased by half the Fire Nation army. So far he had spotted the Rough Rhinos and Zhao, clearly they were out for blood.

They had cut him off completely from his hideout so he had only his two dragon swords, wrist gauntlets, and crossbow. He had stumbled out of the forest into a deserted village, a perfect place to hide and catch his breath.

The wall around the village provided only one entrance, so Chey set up a defensive position on the roof of a building. In total there only seven buildings in the entire village, three on each side and then one opposite the entrance, Chey had set up on that roof.

The sound of soldiers' footsteps had Chey aiming his crossbow in preparation. The first person he saw break through the forest was Zhao. Chey gritted his teeth, aimed, and... lowered the gun. He didn't want it to end like this, he wanted Zhao to see his killer, to see how much he has tormented Chey. No, Zhao would be last to die.

The next men to break through the forest were just foot soldiers. Chey steadied his aim and fired. The bolt hit its target and all attention was on him. At least twenty more foot soldiers and the Rough Rhinos came bursting through the forest, charging at Chey. By the time they reached the gate Chey had killed another ten soldiers.

Once in the village they all spread out to use the buildings as cover. With what little time they were exposed, Chey manage to finish off all except three soldiers, the Rough Rhinos, and Zhao. They had gotten dangerously close to Chey's position though.

He sprinted across the roof and jumped to the next roof, a soldier waiting there already. Chey rolled on impact and took out the soldier's legs. He tried to firebend at Chey, but by the time he could produce a spark, Chey's sword was already through his chest.

Chey once more ran and jumped into the air for the next roof, only this time a fire blast threw his trajectory off. He landed hard in front of the building and before he could stand up the Rough Rhinos and Zhao had surrounded him. He looked to the roof above him to see two firebenders looking down at him. For some reason, one of those firebenders had blood on him, but Chey was almost certain he hadn't hit him.

"Well Chey, I must congratulate you." Zhao's sinister voice brought him out of his thoughts, "You have managed to elude us for quite some time, but nobody ever escapes. Surrender now, and you will be given a fair trial."

Chey glared back at Zhao. He drew a sword in his left hand and raised his crossbow in his right, signaling to Zhao he had no plans to surrender.

Zhao smirked, "I thought so." He assumed a bending position, "Men. Open fire!"

The intense flames rushed at Chey from all angles.

* * *

AN: I hope you have enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. So a lot happened this chapter, Chey getting a second sword, meeting June, and having a showdown with Zhao.

I won't be talking much about the first or the third of those items (feel free to ask questions about the other two, I just want you guys to guess at what happened) , but I do want to touch on the June thing a little bit. I like to think that her dad passed away suddenly and she had to learn the traits of bounty hunting through experience. Well, I thought having Chey give her a few pointers would make for an interesting little story.

Actually there is one thing I want to mention about Zhao. Notice that Chey doesn't want to kill him with the crossbow, this is because Chey's thirst for revenge for Janan drives him to make sure Zhao's death is painful.

Not much else I wanted to talk about. Bonus points to anyone who can tell me whose hideout Chey had taken over. With that, I thank you to those who read/review and please enjoy.


End file.
